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THE 

AMERICAN  GARDENER: 

A  TBEATISE  ON  THB 

SITUATION,  SOIL,  AND  LAYING  OUT  OF  GARDENS, 

ON   THE  MAKING  AND  MANAGING  OF   HOT-BEDS 
AND  GREEN-HOUSES; 

AND 

ON  THE  PROPAGATION  AND  CULTIVATION 
OF  THE  SEVERAL  SORTS  OF 

VEGETABLES,  HERBS,  FRUITS, 

AND  FLOWERS. 


BY  WIIXIAM  COBBETT. 

NEW-YORK: 
ORANGE    JUDD    &    COMPANY 


C5 


PREFACE. 


1.  THE  proper  uses  of  a  Preface  appear  to  be,  tu 
give  the  reader  information,  which  may  be  useful, 
during  the  perusal  of  the  work  to  which  it  is  prefix- 
ed ;  to  explain  the  nature  and  object  of  the  work  : 
to  point  out  the  method  of  the  arrangement  of  its 
several  parts ;  and,  in  short,  to  afford  the  means  of 
due  preparation  for  the  task  the  reader  is  entering 
upon  ;  which  preparation  is  always  a  great  advan- 
tage to  the  author  as  well  as  to  the  reader. 

2.  As  to  the  nature  of  the  work,  it  is,  I  hope, 
pretty  clearly  stated  in  the  Title  Page.    The  object 
evidently  is  to  cause  the  art  of  gardening  to  be  betler 
understood  and  practised  than  it  now  is  in  America  ? 
and,  very  few  persons  will  deny,  that  there  is,  in  this 
?ase,  plenty  of  room  for  improvement.    America  has 
soil  and  climate  ffcr  surpassing  -those  of  England  ; 
and  yet  she  is  surprizingly  deficient  in  variety  as 
well  as  quality  of  garden  products.    I  am  not  allu- 
ding to  things  of  ornament,  or  appertaining  to  Lux- 
urious  enjoyments  ;  but,  to  things  that  are  really 
useful,  and  that  tend  to  profit  and  to  the  preservation 
of  health,  without  which  latter,  life  is  not  worth  hav- 
ing.   It  is  incredible  to  those,  who  have  not  had  oc- 
casion to  observe  the  fact,  how  large  a  part  of  the 
sustenance  of  a  country-labourer's  family,  in  Eng- 
land, comes  out  of  his  little  garden.    The  labourers 
of  England  are  distinguished  from  those  of  other 
countries  by  several  striking  peculiarities;  but,  by 
no  one  are  they  so  strongly  distinguished  as  by  their 
fondness  of  their  gardens,  and  by  the  diligence,  care 
and  taste,  which  they  show  hi  the  management  of 


4  PREFACE. 

them  The  reproach  which  Solomon,  in  the  words 
of  my  motto,  affixes  on  the  slothful  and  ignorant  hus- 
bandman, they  seem  to  have  constantly  in  their 
minds  ;  and  to  be  constantly  on  the  watch  to  prevent 
it  from  applying  to  themselves.  Poverty  may  apo- 
logize for  a  dirty  dress  or  an  unshaven  face ;  men 
may  be  negligent  of  their  persons  ;  but  the  sentence 
of  the  whole  nation  is,  that  he,  who  is  a  sloven  in  his 
garden,  is  a  sloven  indeed.  The  inside  of  a  labour- 
er's  house,  his  habits,  his  qualities  as  a  \vorkman,  and 
almost  his  morality,  may  be  judged  of  from  the  ap- 
pearance of  his  garden.  If  that  be  neglected,  he  is, 
nine  times  out  of  ten,  a  sluggard  or  a  drunkard,  or 
both. 

3.  It  seems,  at  first  sight,  very  odd  that  this  taste 
for  gardening  should  not  have  been  preserved  in 
America;  but,  it  is  accounted  for  by  reflecting,  that 
where  land  is  abundant,  attachment  and  even  atten- 
tion to  small  spots  wear  away.  To  desire  to  possess 
land  is  a  universal  desire  ;  and  vani.y  makes  us  pre- 
fer quantity  to  quality.  You  may  prove  as  clearly 
as  daylight,  that  it  is  better,  in  certain  cases,  to  pos- 
sess one  acre  than  a  hundred  ;  but  where  do  you 
find  the  man  that  prefers  the  one  acre  ?  When  large 
parcels  of  kind  are  undertaken  to  be  cultivated, 
small  ones  are  held  in  contempt ;  and,  though  a  good 
garden  supplies  so  large  a  part  of  what  is  consumed 
by  a  family,  and  keeps  supplying  it  all  the  year 
round  too,  there  are  many  farmers  even  in  England, 
who  grudge  even  a  wheelbarrow  full  of  manure  that 
is  bestowed  on  the  garden.  To  remove  this  neglect 
as  to  gardening  in  America  is  one  of  tho  objects  of 
this  work;  and,  I  think,  I  shall,  in  the  progress  of 
the  work,  show,  thfi'  ^  e  garden  may*  besides  its  in- 
trinsic utility,  be  made  to  be  a  most  valuable  help- 
mate to  the  Farm. 


PREFACE.  5 

4.  It  is  impossible  to  write  a  book  that  shall  ex- 
clusively apply  to  every  particular  case.    Some  per- 
sons have  need  of  large,  while  others  want  only  small 
gardens  ;  but,  as  to  Situation,  Soil,  and  Fencing,  the 
rules  will  apply  to  all  cases.    Those  who  want  nei- 
ther Hot-Beds  nor  Green-Houses,  may  read  the  part 
treating  of  them,  or  leave  it  unread,  just  as  they 
please  ;  but,  I  think,  that  it  will  not  require  much 
to  be  said   to   convince  every  American  Farmer, 
North  of  Carolina,  at  least,  that  he  ought  to  have 
a  Hot-Bed  in  the  Spring. 

5.  I  have  divided  the  matters,  treated  of,  thus : 
The  first  Chapter  treats  of  the  Situation,  Soil,  Fenc- 
ing,  and  Laying-out  of  Gardens ;   the  second,  oi 
the  making  and  managing  of  Hot-Beds  and  Green- 
Houses  ;  the  third,  of  Propagation  and  Cultivation 
generally  ;  the  three  remaining  Chapters  treat  of  the 
raising  and  managing  of  the  several  plants,  each  un- 
der its  particular  name,  classed  under  the  heads, 
Vegetables  and  Herbs ;  Fruits  ;  Flowers.    In  each 
of  these  last  three  Chapters,  I  have,  in  arranging 
my  matter,  followed  the  Alphabetical  Order  of  the 
names  of  the  several  plants,  which  mode  of  arrange- 
ment must  naturally  tend  to  make  the  work  of  re- 
ference easy.    But,  as  very  frequent  reference  must 
be  necessary,  and,  as  the  utility  of  the  work  must, 
in  some  degree,  depend  on  the  facility  with  which 
the  several  parts  of  it  can  be  referred  to,  there  are 
t\vo  Indexes  at  the  end,  one  of  the  names  of  the  se- 
veral plants,  and,  the  other,  of  the  matters  generally. 
For  the  same  reason,  I  have  numbered  the  para- 
graphs throughout  the  work.    A  more  proper  term 
might  have  been  found  than  that  of  Vegetables,  see- 
ing, that,  strictly  speaking,  that  word  applies  to  all 
things  that  grow  from  the  earth.     But,  as  we  call 
those  products  of  the  garden,  which  we  use,  in  their 

1* 


6  PREFACE. 

natural  shape,  as  human  food  ;  as  we  generally  call 
these  only  by  the  name  of  vegetables,  I  have  chosen 
that  word  in  preference  to  one,  which,  though  more 
strictly  proper,  would  foe  tess  generally  understood. 
Nearly  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  word  Herbs. 

6.  Some  persons  may  think,  that  Flowers  are 
things  of  no  use ;  that  they  are  nonsensical  things. 
The  pame  may  be,  and,  perhaps,  with  more  reason, 
said  of  pictures.    An  Italian,  while  he  gives  his  for- 
tune for  a  picture,  will  laugh  to  scorn  a  Hollander, 
who  leaves  a  tulip-root  as  a  fortune  to  his  son.    For 
my  part,  as  a  thing  to  keep  and  not  to  sell ;  as  a  thing, 
the  possession  of  which  is  to  give  me  pleasure,  I  he- 
sitate not  a  moment  to  prefer  the  plant  of  a  fine  car- 
nation to  a  gold  watch  set  with  diamonds. 

7.  The  territory  of  the  United  States  includes 
such  a  variety  of  climates  ;  degrees  of  heat  and  cold 
so  different  at  the  same  period  of  the  year  ;  that  it  is 
impossible  to  give  instructions,  as  relating  to  time* 
for  sowing,  planting,  and  so  forth,  that  shall  be  ap- 
plicable to  every  part  of  the  country.    I,  therefore, 
for  the  most  part,  make  my  directions  applicable  to 
seasons,  or  states  of  the  weather,  rather  than  to 
dates.     When  I  make  no  particular  mention  as  to 
limes  of  the  year,  or  month,  it  is  to  be  understood, 
that  I  am  supposing  my.ielf  at,  or  near,  the  City  of 
New  York,  and  that  I  am  speaking  of  what  ought  to 
be  done  there.    With  this  clearly  borne  in  mind,  the 
reader,  who  will  know  the  difference  in  the  degrees 
of  heat  and  cold  in  the  different  parts  of  the  country, 
will  know  how  to  apply  the  instructions  accordingly. 

8.  Those  persons,  who  perform  their  garden  work 
themselves,  will  need  no  caution  with  respect  to  men 
that  they  employ  as  Gardeners  ;  but,  those  who  em- 
ploy Gardeners  ought  by  no  means  to  leave  them  to 
do  as  they  please.     Their  practical  experience  is 


PREFACE.  T 

arorth  something ;  but,  if  they  are  generally  found 
/ery  deficient  in  knowledge  of  their  business  in  Eng 
land,  what  must  those  of  them  be  who  come  to 
America  ?  Every  man,  who  can  dig  and  hoe  and 
rake,  calls  himself  a  Gardener  as  soon  as  he  lands 
here  from  England.  This  description  of  persons  are 
generally  handy  men,  and,  having  been  used  to 
gpade-work,  they,  from  habit,  do  things  well  and 
neatly.  But  as  to  the  art  of  gardening,  they  gene- 
rally know  nothing  of  it.  I  wished  to  carry  the 
nicer  parts  of  gardening  to  perfection,  at  Botley.  I 
succeeded.  But  I  took  care  to  employ  no  man  who 
called  himself  a  gardener.  I  selected  handy  and 
clear-headed  farm-labourers.  They  did  what  I  or- 
dered them  to  do  ;  and  offered  me  none  of  their  ad- 
cice  or  opinions. 

9.  There  is  a  foible  of  human  nature,  which  great- 
ly contributes  to  establish  and  perpetuate  the  power 
and  the  mischief  of  pretended  gardeners.  Tell  a 
gentleman,  that  this  is  wrong,  or  that  is  wrong,  in 
the  management  of  his  garden,  and  he  instantly  and 
half-angrily  replies,  that  his  gardener  is  a  very  skil- 
ful man.  "  That  may  be,"  said  I  once  to  a  friend, 
who,  at  an  enormous  expense,  had  got  two  or  three 
poor  little  melons,  while  I,  at  hardly  any  expense 
it  all,  had  large  quantities  of  very  line  ones  :  "  That 
may  be,"  said  I,  "  for  skill  may  consist  in  getting 
you  to  expend  your  money  without  getting  you  any 
fruit."  The  truth  is,  however,  that  it  is  not  a  desire 
to  be  deceived,  that  produces  this  species  of  per- 
verseness  :  it  is  a  desire  not  to  be  thought  foolish. 
The  gentleman  has  chosen  the  gardener  ;  and,  the 
reason  why  he  stickles  for  him  is,  that,  if  he  allow 
the  gardener  to  be  a  bad  one,  he  himself  has  made 
a  bad  choice  ;  and  that  would  be  an  imputation  on 
\is  understanding,  rather  than  allow  which  to  be 


PREFACE. 


just,  he  will  cheerfully  bleed  from  his  purse  pretty 
freely. 

10.  The  best  security  against  the  effects  of  this 
foible  of  human  nature,  is,  for  the  owner  of  the  gar- 
den to  be  head  gardener  himself ;  and,  I  hope  that 
this  work  may  assist  in  rendering  this  office  easy 
and  pleasant.    But,  to  perform  the  office  well,  the 
OAvner  must  be  diligent  as  well  as  skilful.    He  must 
look  forward.    It  is  a  very  good  way  to  look  atten- 
tively at  every  part  of  the  garden  every  Saturday, 
and  to  write  down  some,  at  least,  of  the  things  to 
be  done  during  the  next  week.    This  tends  to  pre- 
vent those  omissions,  which,  when  they  have  once 
taken  place,  are  not  easily  compensated  for.     Sea- 
sons wait  for  no  man.    Nature  makes  us  her  offers 
freely  ;  but  she  will  be  taken  a^her  word. 

11.  I  cannot  help,  in  conclusion  of  this  preface, 
expressing  my  hope,  that  this  work  may  tend  to  the 
increasing,  in  some  degree,  of  a  taste  for  gardening 
in  America.     It  is  a  source  of  much  greater  profit 
than   is    generally  imagined ;    and,    merely  as  an 
amusement,  or  recreation,  it  is  one  of  the  most  ra- 
tional and  most  conducive  to  health.    It  is  a  pursuit, 
not  only  compatible  with,  but  favourable  to,  the  study 
of  any  art  or  science.    It  tends  to  turn  the  minds  of 
youth  from  amusements  and  attachments  of  a  frivo- 
lous or  vicious  nature.    It  is  indulged  at  home.     It 
tends  to  make  home  pleasant  ;  and  to  endear  to  us 
the  spot  on  which  it  is  our  lot  to  live. 

WM.  COBBETT. 
North  Hcmpstead,  Long  Island,  1819. 


CHAPTER  I. 

9n  the  Situation,  Soil,  Fencing,  and,  Laying-oui 
of  Gardens. 

SITUATION. 

12.  THOSE  who  have  gardens  already  formed 
and  planted,  hare,  of  course,  not  the  situation  to 
choose.     But,  I  am  to  suppose,  that  new  gardens 
will,  in  a  country  like  this,  be  continually  to  be 
formed  ;  and,  therefore,  it  is  an  essential  part  of  my 
duty  to  point  out  what  situations  are  best,  as  well 
with  respect  to  the  aspect  as  to  the  other  circum- 
stances. 

13.  The  ground  should  be  as  nearly  on  a  level  as 
possible  ;  because,  if  the  slope  be  considerable,  the 
heavy  rains  do  grea.-t  injury,  by  washing  away  the 
soil.     However,  it  is  not  always  in  our  power  to 
choose  a  level  spot ;  but,  if  there  be  a  slope  in  the 
ground,  it  ought,   if  possible,   to  be  towards  the 
South.     For,  though  such  a  direction  adds  to  the 
heat  in  summer,  this  is  more  than  counterbalanced 
by  the  earliness  which  it  causes  in  the  spring.    By 
all  means  avoid  an  inclination  towards  the  North, 
or  West,  and  towards  any  of  the  points   between 
North  and  West.     After  all,  it  may  not  be  in  our 
power  to  have  a  level  spot,  nor  even  a  spot  nearly 
level ;  and  then  we  must  do  our  best  with  what  we 
have. 

14.  I  am  speaking  here  solely  of  a  Kitchen-gar- 
den.    Of  ornamental  Gardening  I  shall  speak  a  lit- 
tle in  the  Chapter  on  Flowers.     From  a  Kitchen- 


10  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chaji 

garden  all  large  trees  ought  to  be  kept  at  a  distance 
of  thirty  or  forty  yards.  For,  the  shade  of  them  i^ 
injurious,  and  their  roots  a  great  deal  more  injuri 
ous,  to  every  plant  growing  within  the  influence  oi 
those  roots.  It  is  a  common  but  very  erroneous 
jiotion,  in  England,  that  the  trees,  which  grow  in 
the  hedges  that  divide  the  fields,  do  injury  by  theii 
shade  only.  I  had  a  field  of  transplanted  Rut& 
Baga,  in  the  hedge  on  tho  North  West  side  of  which 
there  were  five  large  spreading  oak-trees,  at  some 
distance  from  each  other.  Opposite  each  of  thest 
trees,  which  could  not  shade  the  Ruta  Baga  much, 
there  was  a  piece  of  the  Ruta  Baga,  in  nearly  a 
semi-circular  form,  in  which  the  plants  never  grew 
to  any  size,  though  those  in  all  the  rest  of  the  field 
were  so  fine  as  to  draw  people  from  a  great  distance 
to  look  at  them.  One  gentleman,  who  came  out  of 
Sussex,  and  who  had  been  a  farmer  all  his  life-time, 
was  struck  with  the  sight  of  these  semi-circles  ;  and, 
looking  over  the  hedge,  into  a  field  of  wheat,  which 
had  a  ditch  between  it  and  the  hedge,  and  seeing 
that  the  wheat,  though  shaded  by  the  trees,  was 
very  little  affected  by  them,  he  discovered,  that  it 
was  the  roots  and  not  the  branches  that  produced 
the  mischief.  The  ditch,  which  had  been  for  ages 
in  the  same  place,  had  prevented  the  roots  of  the 
trees  from  going  into  the  field  where  the  wheat  was 
growing.  The  ground  where  the  Ruta  Baga  was 
growing  had  been  well  ploughed  and  manured  ;  and 
the  plants  had  not  been  in  the  ground  more  than 
three  months;  yet,  such  was  the  power  of  the  roots 
of  the  trees,  and  so  quickly  did  it  operate,  that  it 
almost  wholly  destroyed  the  Ruta  Baga  that  stood 
within  its  reach.  Grass,  which  matts  the  ground 
all  over  with  its  roots,  and  does  not  demand  much 
food  from  any  depth,  does  not  suffer  much  from  the 


1. 1  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  11 

roots  of  trees;  but,  every  other  plant  does.  A 
Kitchen-garden  should,  therefore,  have  no  large 
trees  near  it.  In  the  spring  and  fall  tall  trees  do 
great  harm  even  by  their  shade,  which  robs  the 
garden  of  the  early  and  the  parting  rays  of  the  sun. 
ft  is,  therefore,  on  all  accounts,  desirable  to  keep 
all  such  trees  at  a  distance. 

15.  If  it  be  practicable,  without  sacrificing  too 
much  in  other  respects,  to  make  a  garden  near  to 
running  water,  and  especially  to  water  that  may  be 
turned  into  the  garden,  the  advantage  ought  to  be 
profited  of;  but  as  to  watering  with  a  watering 
pot,  it  is  seldom  of  much  use,  and  it  cannot  be  prac- 
tised upon  a  large  scale.     It  is  better  to  trust  to  ju- 
dicious tillage  and  to  the  dews  and  rains.    The  mois- 
ture which  these  do  not  supply  cannot  be  furnished, 
to  any  extent,   by  the  watering-pot.     A  man  will 
raise  more  moisture,  with  a  hoe  or  spade,  in  a  day, 
than  he  can  pour  on  the  earth  out  of  a  watering-pot 
in  a  month. 

SOIL. 

16.  The  plants,  which  grow  in  a  garden,  prefer, 
like  most  other  plants,  the  best  soil   that  is  to  be 
found.    The  best  is,  loam  of  several  feet  deep,  with 
i  bed   of  lime-stone,   sand-stone,   or  sand,  below. 
But,  we  must  take  what  \vefind,  or.  rather,  what  we 
happen  to  have.     If  we  have  a  choice,  we  ought  to 
take  that  which  comes  nearest  to  perfection,  and,  if 
we  possibly  can,  we  ought  to  reject  clay,  and  gra- 
vel, not  only  as  a  top   soil,  but  as  a  bottom  soil, 
however  great  their  distance  from  the  surface.    See 
paragraph  109. 

17.  Oak-trees  love  clay,  and  the  finest  and  heavi- 
est wheat  grows  in  land  with  a  bottom  of  clay  ;  but, 
if  there  be  clay  within  even  six  feet  of  the  surface, 
'.here  will  be  a  coldness  in  the  land,  which  will,  in 


12  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

cpite  of  all  you  can  do,  keep  your  spring  crops  a 
week  or  ten  days  behind  those  upon  land  which  has 
not  a  bottom  of  clay.  Gravel  is  warm,  and  it  would 
be  very  desirable,  if  you  could  exchange  it  for  some 
other  early  in  June  ;  but,  since  you  cannot  do  this, 
you  must  submit  to  be  burnt  up  in  summer,  if  you 
have  the  benefit  of  a  gravelly  bottom  in  the  spring 

18.  If  the  land,  where  you  like  to  have  a  garden, 
has  rocks,  great  or  small,  they,  of  course,  are  to  1  e 
carried  off;  but,  if  you  have  a  stony  soil,  that  is  to 
say,  little  short  of  gravel  to  the  very  surface,  and, 
if  you  can  get  no'  other  spot,  you  must  e'en  ham 
mer  your  tools  to  pieces  amongst  the  stones  ;  for  it 
lias  been  amply  proved  by  experience,  that  to  carry 
away  stones  of  the  flint  or  gravel  kind  impoverishes 
the  land.     However,  we  are  not  to  frame  out  plans 
upon  the  supposition  of  meeting  with   obstacles  of 
this  extraordinary  nature.     We  are  not  to  suppose, 
that,  in  a  country  where  men  have  had  to  choone, 
and  have  still  to  choose,  they  will  have  built,  and 
yet  will  build,   their   houses    on   spots  pcculiaily 
steril.     We  must  suppose  the  contrary,  and,  upon 
that  supposition  we  ought  to  proceed. 

19.  Having  fixed  upon  the  spot  for  the  garden, 
the  next  thing  is  to  prepare  the  ground.    This  may 
be   done  by   ploughing  and   harrowing,   until  the 
ground,  at  top,   be  perfectly  clean  ;  and,  then,  by 
double  ploughing^ :  that  is  to  say,  by  going,  with  a 
strong  plough  that  turns  a  large  furrow  and  turns  it 
cleanly,  twice  in  the  same  place,  and  thus  moving 
the  ground  to  the  depth  of  fourteen  or  sixteen  inches, 
for,  the  advantage  of  deeply  moving  the  ground  is 
very  great  indeed.     When  this  has  been  done  in 
one  direction  ;  ;t  ought  to  be  done  across,  and  then 
the  ground  will  have  been  well  and  truly  moved. 
The  ploughing  ought  to  be  done  with  four  oxen 


I.j  THE    AMERICAN     GARDEXKK.  13 

ard  the  plough  ought  to  be  held  by  a  strong  and 
careful  ploughman. 

20.  This  is  as  much  as  I  shall,  probably,  be  able 
to  persuade  any  body  to  do  in  the  way  of  preparing 
the  ground.     But,  this  is  not  all  that  ougJit  to  be 
done  ;  and  it  is  proper  to  give  directions  for  the 
best  way  of  doing  this  and  every  thing  else.     The 
best  way  is,  then,  to  trench  the   ground ;  which  is 
performed  in  this  manner.    At  one  end  of  the  piece 
of  ground,  intended  for  the  garden,  you  make,  with 
a  spade,  a  trench,  all  along,  two  feet  wide  and  two 
feet  deep.     You   throw  the   earth   out  on  the  side 
away  from  the   garden   that  is  to  be.     You  shovel 
out  the  bottom   clean,   and  make  the  sides  of  the 
trench  as  nearly  perpendicular  as  possible.     Thus 
you  have  a  clean  open  trench,  running  all  along  one 
end  of  your  garden-ground.     You  then   take  an- 
other piece  all   along,  two  feet  wide,  and  put  the 
earth  that  this  new  piece  contains  into  the  trench 
taking  off  the  top  of  the  new  two  feet  wide,  and 
turning  that  top  down  into  the  bottom  of  the  trench, 
and  then  taking  the  remainder  of  the  earth  of  the 
new  two  feet,  and  placing  it  on  the  top  of  the  earth 
just  turned  into  the  bottom  of  the  trench.     Thus, 
when  you  have  again  shovelled  out  the  bottom,  and 
put  it  on  the  top  of  the  whole   that  you  have  put 
into  the  trench,  you  have  another  clean  trench  two 
feet  wide  and  two  deep.    You  thus  proceed,  till  the 
whole  of  your  garden-ground  be  trenched  ;  and  then 
it  will  have  been  cleanly  turned  over  to  the  depth 
of  two  feet. 

21.  As  to  the  expense  of  this  preparatory  opera- 
tion, a  man  that  knows  how  to  use  a  spade,  wil 
trench  four  rod  in  a  day  very  easily  in  the  month  c 
October,  or  in  the  month  of  November  if  the  grour 
be  not  frozen.     Supposing   the   garden  to  conteo. 

2 


?J4  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

<an  acre,  and  the  labourer  to  earn  a  dollar  a  day, 
the  cost  of  this  operation  will,  of  course,  be  forty 
dollars ;  which,  perhaps,  would  be  twenty  dollars 
above  the  expense  of  the  various  ploughings  and 
;harrowings,  necessary  in  the  other  way  ;  but,  the 
difference  in  the  value  of  the  two  operations  is  be- 
yond all  calculation.  There  is  no  point  of  greater 
importance  than  this,  Poor  ground  deeply  moved 
«is  preferable,  in  many  cases,  to  rich  ground  with 
shallow  tillage ;  and  when  the  ground  has  been 
•deeply  moved  once,  it  feels  the  benefit  for  ever 
after.  A  garden  is  made  to  last  for  ages  ;  what, 
then,  in  such  a  case,  is  the  amount  of  twenty  dol- 
lars? It  is  well  known  to  all  who  have  had  experi- 
ence on  the  subject,  that  of  two  plants  of  almost 
any  kind  that  stand  for  the  space  of  three  months 
.in  top  soil  of  the  same  quality,  one  being  on  ground 
deeply  moved,  and  the  other  on  ground  moved  no 
^deeper  than  is  usual,  the  former  will  exceed  the  lat- 
ter one  half  in  bulk.  And,  as  to  trees  of  all  de- 
scriptions, from  the  pear-tree  down  to  the  currant- 
bush,  the  difference  is  so  great,  that  there  is  room 
'for  no  comparison.  It  is  a  notion  with  some  pei- 
sons,  that  it  is  of  no  use  to  move  the  ground  deeper 
ithan  the  roots  of  the  plant  penetrate.  But,  in  the 
;first  place,  the  roots  go  much  deeper  than  we  gene- 
rally suppose.  When  we  pull  up  a  cabbage,  for 
.instance,  we  see  no  roots  more  than  a  foot  long ; 
cut,  if  we  were  carefully  to  pursue  the  roots  to 
iheir  utmost  point,  even  as  far  as  our  eye  would 
assist  us,  we  should  find  the  roots  a  great  deal 
longer,  and  the  extremities  of  the  roots  are  much 
4oo  fine  to  be  s-een  by  the  naked  eye.  Upon  pulling 
tip  a  common  turnip,  who  would  imagine,  that  the 
•side,  or  horizontal  roots,  extend  to  several  feet  ? 
Yt*  I  have  traced  them  to  the  length  of  four 


I.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  15 

r'eet ;  and  Mr.  Tull  proved,  that  they  extended  to 
six  feet,  though  he  could  not  see  them  to  that  ex- 
tent with  his  naked  eye.  But,  though  the  roots 
should  not  extend  nearly  to  the  bottom  of  the  moved 
ground,  the  plants  are  affected  by  the  unmoved 
ground  being  near  at  hand.  If  this  were  not  the 
case,  plants  with  very  short  roots  might  be  culti- 
vated on  a  brick  pavement  with  earth  laid  upon  it 
to  the  thickness  of  a  foot;  and  yet,  no  plant  will 
live  and  thrive  in  such  a  state,  while  it  will  do  very 
well  in  ground  along  side  the  pavement,  though 
moved  only  a  foot  deep.  Plants  require  a  commu- 
nication with,  and  an  assistance  from,  beneath  as 
well  as  from  above,  in  order  to  give  them  vigour 
and  fecundity.  Plants  will  live,  and  will  grow  to  a 
certain  extent  in  earthen  pots,  or  in  boxes  made  of 
wood ;  but,  there  must  be  holes  in  the  bottom  of 
both,  or  the  plants  will  die.  See  paragraphs  108 
and  109. 

22.  It  is,  therefore,  of  the  greatest  importance, 
that  the  ground  be  moved  to  a  good  depth,  and,  he 
who  is  about  to  make  a  garden  should  remember, 
that  he  is  about  to  do  that,  the  effects  of  which  are 
to  be  felt  for  ages.  There  is,  however,  one  objec- 
tion to  trenching  in  certain  cases.  The  soil  may 
not  only  not  be  good  to  the  depth  of  two  feet,  bi" 
it  may  be  bad  long  before  you  come  to  that  depth  . 
and,  in  this  case,  the  trenching,  in  putting  the  good 
soil  at  bottom,  might  bring  a  hungry  sand,  or  even 
a  gravel  or  clay  to  the  top,  which  must  not  be  done 
r.  y  any  means  ;  for,  even  in  the  case  of  trees,  they 
would  perish,  or  become  stunted,  because  their 
roots  would  not  find  their  way  from  the  bad  soil  to 
the  good.  la  such  cases  the  top  soil  must,  in  the 
trenching,  be  kept  at  the  top ;  and,  in  order  to  efFecf 
this,  your  mode  of  proceeding,  in  the  trenching 


16  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

must  be  somewhat  different  from  that  described  in 
paragrapli  20. 

23.  "Your first  trench  must  be  opened  in  the  man- 
ner described  in  that  paragraph  ;  but  you  must  not 
then  proceed  to  turn  the  top  of  the  next  two  feet 
into   the  bottom   of  the   trench.     Let  us  suppose, 
now,  that  you  have  your  first  trench,  two  feet  wide 
as  before  directed,  open  and  clean.    This  being  the 
case,  take  a  foot  deep  of  the  next  two  feet  all  the 
way  along,  and,  for  this  once,  throw  it  over  the  open 
trench  to  add   to   the  earth  that  you  have  already 
thrown  out  of  that  trench.     Then  you  will  have  the 
bottom  foot  of  earth  left.     Dig  out  this  and  turn  it 
into  the  bottom  of  your  open  trench,  and  then  the 
first  trench  will  be  half  filled  up,  and  you  will  have 
got  your  second  trench  open.     Then  go  to  a  new 
two  feet  wide,  that  is  the  third  two  feet.     Take  th< 
top  foot  deep  off  from  this,  and  throw  it  on  the  toj. 
of  the  earth  that  you  have  just  turned  into  the  nVsi 
trench  ;  and  then,  where  that  first  trench  was  there 
will  be  earth  two  feet  deep ;  the  bad  soil  at  bottom 
and  the  good  soil  at  top.     Then  you  go  on  regu- 
larly.   The  bottom  foot  of  the  fourth  two  feet  wide 
piece  you  turn  into  the  bottom  of  the  second  trench, 
and  the  top  foot  of  the  third  two  feet  wide  piece 
you  throw  on  the  top  of  the  earth  which  is  at  the 
bottom  of  the  second  trench.    And,  thus,  when  you 
have  done,   you  will  have  moved  all  your  ground 
two  feet  deep,  and  will  have  the  bad  soil  at  bottom 
and  the  good  at  top. 

24.  At  the  end  of  your  work,  you  will,  of  course, 
have  an  open  trench  and  a  half;  and  this  must  be 
filled  up  by  carrying  the  earth,  which  came  out  of 
the  first  trench,  round  in  a  cart  or  wheel-barrow, 
and  putting  it  into  the  space  that  you  will  have  open 
at  last.     For  trees  and  asparagus,  you  ought  to 


I.J  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  17 

do    siill    more.     See   Asparagus  in   Chapter  IV. 

25.  It  must  be  observed,  however,  that,  though 
the  soil  be  good  in  its  naturae  down  to  two  feet 
deep,  that  which  comes  to  the  top  in  the  first  mode 
of  trenching,  will  not  be,  immediately,  so  good  for 
use,  as  the  soil  which  has  been  at  top  forages.     It 
is,  in  such  a  case,  of  great  advantage  to  place  the 
old  top  soil  at  the  bottom :  because  when  roots  find 
the  soil  good  to  such  a  depth,  the  plants  and  tree? 
thrive  and  bear  surprizingly.     But,  then,  the  new 
top  soil  must  be  exceedingly  well  worked  and  well 
and  judiciously  manured,  in  order  to  make  it  equal 
to  the  old  top  soil :  which  object  is,  however,  very- 
soon  accomplished,  if  the  proper  means  be  made 
use  of. 

26.  The  ground  being  trenched,  in  October,  ought 
to  be  well  manured  at  top  with  good  well-rotted 
dung,  or  with  soap-boiler' 's  ashes,  or  some  other 
good  manure  ;  and  this  might  be  ploughed,  or  dug 
in  shallowly.    Before  the  frost  is  gone  in  the  spring, 
another  good  coat  of  manure  should  be  put  on ; 
well-rotted  manure  from  the  yard ;  ashes  ;  or,  ra- 
ther, if  ready,  from  a  good  com.post.     Then,  when 
the  frost  is  gone,  the  ground  will  be  instantly  fit  foi 
digging  and  planting;  and,  it  will  bear  almost  any 
thing  that  can  be  put  into  it. 

27  Thus  will  the  ground  be  prepared  ;  and  here 
I  close  my  directions  with  regard  to  the  nature  and 
preparation  of  the  soil.  But,  it  seems  necessary  to 
add  a  few  words  on  the  subject  of  manures  as 
adapted  to  a  garden.  It  is  generally  thought,  and, 
I  believe,  truly,  that  dung,  of  any  sort,  is  not  what 
ought  to  be  used  in  the  raising  of  garden  vegetables. 
It  is  very  certain,  that  they  are  coarse  and  gross 
when  produced  with  aid  of  that  sort  of  manure, 
compared  to  what  they  are  when  raised  with  the  aid 
2* 


18  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENIK.  [Chap. 

of  ashes,  Hme,  rags,  and  composts.  And,  besides, 
dung,  in  hot  soils  and  hot  climates,  adds  to  the 
heat ;  while  ashes,  lime,  rags  and  composts  do  not; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  they  attract,  and  cause  the 
earth  to  retain,  moisture. 

28.  All  the  ground  in  a  garden  ought  always  to 
be  good  ;  and  it  will  be  kept  in  this  state  if  it  be 
well  manured  once  every  year.     Perhaps  it  will 
scarcely  ever  be  convenient  to   any  one  to  manure 
the  whole  garden  at  one  time  :  and  this  is  not  of  so 
much  importance.     Clay,  or  any  earth,  burnt,  is 
excellent  manure  for  a  garden.     It  has  no  seeds  of 
weeds  or  grass  in  it.     A  compost,  made  of  such 
ashes,  some  wood-ashes,  a  small  portion  of  horse- 
dung,  rotten  leaves,  and  mould  shovelled  up  undei 
trees,   round  buildings,   or  on  the  sides  of  roads 
All  these  together,  put  into  a  heap,  and  turned  over 
several  times,  make  the  best  manure  for  a  garden. 

29.  A  great  deal  more  is  done  by  the  fermenta- 
tion  of  manures   than  people   generally  imagine. 
In  the  month   of  June   take   twenty  cart  loads  of 
earth,  which  has  been  shovelled  off  the  surface  of  a 
grassy  lane,  or  by  a  road  side,  or  round  about  barns, 
stables,  and  the  like.    Lay  these  twenty  loads  about 
a  foot  thick  on  some  convenient  spot.     Go  and  cut 
up  twenty  good  cart-loads  of  weeds  of  any  sort,  and 
lay  these  well  shaken  up,  on  the  earth.    Then  cover 
the  weeds  with  twenty  more  cart-loads  of  earth  like 
the  former,  throwing  the  earth  on  lightly.    In  three 
days  you  will  see  the  heap  smoke  as  if  on  fire.     If 
you  put  your  hand  into  the  ear.th,  you  will  find  it 
too  hot  to  be  endured.    In  a  few  days  the  heat  will 
decline,  and  you  will  perceive  the  heap  sink.     Let 
it  remain  a  week,  after  this,   and  then  turn  it  very 
carefully.     This  will  mix  the  whole  well  together. 
You  will  find  the  weeds  and  grass  in  a  putrid  state 


/.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  19 

Another  heating  will  take  place,  but  less  furious 
than  the  former.  Turn  it  a  second  time  in  seven 
days  :  and  a  third  time  in  seven  days  more.  Anc 
by  this  time  you  will  have  forty  cart  loads  of  ma 
ure,  equal  in  strength  to  twenty  of  yard  dung,  anc 
a  vast  deal  better  for  a  garden,  or,  indeed,  for  anv 
other  land.  It  is  not  expensive  to  obtain  this  son 
of  manure  ;  and  such  a  heap,  or  part  of  such  a  heap, 
might  at  all  times  be  ready  for  the  use  of  the  gai  • 
den.  When  such  a  heap  were  once  formed,  some 
ashes,  fish-shells  or  bones  reduced  to  powder,  01 
other  enlivening  matter,  might  be  added  to  it,  am' 
mixed  well  with  it;  and  thus  would  a  store  be  al 
ways  at  hand  for  any  part  of  the  garden  that  might 
want  it. 

FENCING. 

30.  Here,  as  in  the  case  of  Situation,  I  am  sup- 
posing the  garden  about  to  be  made.     Those  who 
already  have  gardens,  have  fences.     They  may  im- 
prove them,  indeed,  upon  my  plan  ;  but,  I  am  sup- 
posing the  cas-e  of  a  new  garden ;  and,  I  am  also 
supposing  a  garden  to  be  made  in  what  I  deem  per- 
fection.   Those  who  cannot,  from  whatever  circum- 
stance, attain  to  this  perfection,  may,  nevertheless, 
profit  from  these  instructions  is  far  as  circumstances 
will  allow. 

31.  The  fence  of  a  garden  is  an  important  mat- 
ter ;  for,  we  have  to  view  it  not  only  as  giving  pro- 
tcction  against  intruders,  two-legged  as  well  as  four- 
legged,  but  as  affording  shelter  in  cold  weather  ana 
shade  in  hot,  in  both  which  respects  a  fence  may  be 
made  of  great  utility  in  an  American  Garden,  where 
cold  and  heat  are  experienced  in  an  extreme  degree. 

32.  In  England  the  kitchen-gardens  of  gentlemen 
are  enclosed  with  walls  from  ten    to  sixteen  feet 
high;  but  this,  though  it  is  useful,  and  indeed  ne 


20  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

r.essary,  in  the  way  of  protection  against  two-legged 
intruders,  is  intended  chiefly  to  afford  the  means  of 
raising  the  fruit  of  Peaches,  Nectarines,  Apricots, 
arid  Vines,  which  cannot,  in  England,  be  brought 
to  perfection  without  walls  to  train  them  against ; 
for,  though  the  trees  will  all  grow  very  well,  and 
though  a  small  sort  of  Apricots  will  sometimes 
ripen  their  fruit  away  from  a  wall,  these  fruits  can- 
not, to  any  extent,  be  obtained,  in  England,  nor  the 
Peaches  and  Nectarines,  even  in  France,  north  of 
the  middle  ot  that  country,  without  the  aid  of  walls. 
Hence,  in  England,  Peaches,  Nectarines,  Apricots, 
and  Grapes,  are  called  Wall-Fruit.  Cherries, 
Plums,  and  Pears,  are  also  very  frequently  placed 
against  walls ;  and  they  are  always  the  finer  for  it ; 
but,  a  wall  is  indispensably  necessary  to  the  four 
former. 

33.  In  America  a  fence  is  not  wanted  for  this  pur- 
pose ;  but  it  is  very  necessary  for  protection  ;  for 
shelter  ;  and  for  shade.  As  to  the  first,  gardeners 
may  scold  as  long  as  they  please,  and  law-makers 
may  enact  as  long  as  they  please,  mankind  never 
will  look  upon  taking  fruit  in  an  orchard  or  a  gar- 
den as  felony  nor  even  as  trespass.  Besides,  there 
are,  in  all  countries,  such  things  as  boys  ;  and  every 
man  remembers,  if  he  be  not  very  forgetful,  that  he 
himself  was  once  a  boy.  So  that,  if  you  have  a 
mind  to  have  for  your  own  use  what  you  grow  in 
your  garden,  the  only  effectual  security  is  an  insur- 
mountable fence.  This  prevents  the  existence  of 
temptation,  in  all  cases  dangerous,  and  particularly 
in  that  of  forbidden  fruit :  therefore  the  matter  re- 
duces itself  to  this  \ cry  simple  alternative:  share 
the  produce  of  your  garden  good-humouredly  with 
the  boys  of  the  whole  neighbourhood  ;  or,  keep  it 
for  your  own  use  by  a  fence  which  they  cannot  get 


L]  TIIK    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  21 

through,  »under,  or  over.  Such  a  fence,  however 
it  is  no  trifling  matter  to  make.  It  must  be  pretty 
high  ;  and  must  present  some  formidable  obstacles 
besides  its  height. 

34.  With  regard  to  the  second  point ;  the  shelter ; 
this  is  of  great  consequence  ;  for,  it  is  very  well 
known,  that,  on  the  south  side  of  a  good  high  fence, 
you  can  have  peas,  lettuces,  radish,  and  many  other 
things,  full  ten  days  earlier  in  the  spring,  than  you 
can  have  them  in  the  unsheltered  ground.     Indeed, 
this  is  a  capital  consideration  ;  for  you  have,  by  this 
means,   ten  days  more  of  spring  than  you   could 
have  without  it. 

35.  The  shade,  during  the  s"»rmer,  is  also  valu 
able.     Peas  will  thrive  in  the  snade  long  after  they 
will  no  longer  produce  in  the  sun.     Currant  trees 
and  Gooseberry  trees  will  not  do  well  in  this  cli- 
mate unless  they  be  in  the  shade.    Raspberries  also 
are  best  in  the  shade  ;  and,  during  the  heat  of  sum- 
mer,  lettuces,   radishes,  and    many  other    things, 
thrive  best  in  the  shade. 

36.  It  will  be  seen  presently,  when  I  come  to 
speak  of  the  form  of  a  garden,  that  I  have  fixed 
on  an  Oblong  Square,  twice  as  long  as  it  is  wide. 
This  gives  me  a  long  fence  on  the  North  side  and 
also   on  the    South   side.      The  form  gives  me  a 
line,  warm  extensive  border  in  the  spring,  and  the 
latter  a  border  equally  extensive  and  as  cool  as  I 
can  get  it,  in  the  heat  of  summer.     Of  the  various 
benefits  of  this  shelter  and  this  shade  I  shall,  of 
course,  speak  fully,  when  I  come  to  treat  of  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  several  plants.     At  present  I  shall 
confine  myself  to  the  sort  of  fence  that  I  would  re- 
commend. 

37.  I  am  aware  of  the  difficulty  of  overcomir.g 
long-  habit  and  of  introducing  any  thing  that  is  new. 


S3  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENLR.  [Chap 

Yet,  amongst  a  sensible  people,  such  as  those,  for 
whose  use  this  work  is  intended,  one  need  not  be 
afraid  of  ultimate  success  ;  and  I,  above  all  men, 
ought  not  to  entertain  such  fear,  after  what  I  have 
seen  with  regard  to  the  Ruta  Baga.  The  people 
of  this  country  listen  patiently  ;  and  if  they  be  not 
in  haste  to  decide,  they  generally  decide  wisely  at 
last.  Besides,  it  is  obvious  to  every  one,  that  the 
lands,  in  the  populous  parts  of  the  country,  must 
be  provided  wit'h  a  different  sort  of  fence  from  that 
which  is  now  in  use ;  or,  that  they  must  be,  in  a 
few  years,  suffered  to  lay  waste. 

38.  Yet,   with  all  these  circumstances  in  my  fa- 
vour, I  proceed  with  fauHering  accent  to  propose, 
even  for  a  garden,  a  live  fence,   especially  when  I 
have  to  notice,   that  I   know  not  how  to  get  the 
plants,  unless  I,  in  the  outset,  bring  them,  or  their 
seeds,  from  England !  However,  I  must  suppose 
this  difficulty  surmounted  ;  then  proceed  to  describe 
this  fence  that  I  would  have,  if  I  could. 

39.  In  England  it  is  called  a  Quick-Set  Hedge. 
The  truth  is,   however,  that  it   ought  rather  to  be 
called  an  Everlasting-  Hedge  ;  for,  it  is  not,  as  will 
be  seen  by-and-by,  so  very  quickly  set ;  or,  at  least, 
so  very  quickly  raised.     If  I  could  carry  my  read- 
ers into  Surrey,  in  England,  and  show  them  quick- 
set hedges,  I  might  stop  here,  and  only  provide  the 
seeds  or  plants.     But,  not  being  able  to  do  that,  I 
must,  as  well  as  I  can,  describe  the  thing  on  paper. 
The  plants  are  those  of  the  White  Thorn.     This 
thorn  will,  if  it  be  left  to   grow  singly,  attain  the 
bulk  and  height  of  an  apple-tree.     It  bears  white 
(lowers  in  great  abundance,  of  a  very  fragrant  smell, 
which  are  succeeded  by  a  little  berry,  which,  when 
it  is  ripe  in  the  fall,  is  of  a  red  colour.    Within  the 
red  pulp  is  a  small  stone  ;  and  this  stone,  being  put 


I.j  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 

in  the  ground,  produces  a  plant,  or  tree,  in  the  same 
manner  that  a  cherry-stone  does.  The  red  berries 
are  called  haws;  whence  this  thorn  is  sometimes 
called  the  haw-thorn  ;  as  in  GOLDSMITH'S  Deserted 
Village  :  "  The  haw-thorn  bush,  with  seats  beneath 
the  shade."  The  leaf  is  precisely  like  the  Goose- 
berry leaf,  only  a  little  smaller ;  the  branches  are 
every  where  armed  with  sharp  thorns ;  and  the 
wood  is  very  flexible  and  very  tough. 

40.  The  haws  are  sown  in  drills,  like  peas,  arid 
they  are  taken  from  that  situation  and  planted  very 
thick  in  rows,  in  a  nursery,  where   they  stand  a 
year  or  two,  if  not  wanted  the  first  year.     Then 
they  are  ready  to  be  planted   to  become  a  hedge. 
In  England  there  are  two  ways  of  planting  a  hedge, 
as  to  position  of  ground.     One  on  a  bank,  with  a 
ditch  on  the  side :  the  other  on  the  level  ground. 
The  latter  is  that,  of  which  I  have  now  to  speak. 

41.  The  ground  for  the  Garden  being  prepared, 
in  the  manner  before  described  under  the  head  of 
Soil,  you  take  up  your  quick-set  plants,  prune  their 
roots  to  within  four  inches  of  the  part  that  was  at 
the  top  of  the  ground  ;  or,  in  other  words,  leave  the 
root  but  four  inches  long,  taking  care  to  cut  away 
all  the  fibres,   for  they  always  die  ;  and  they  do 
harm  if  they  be  left.     Make  the   ground  very  fine 
and  nice  all  round  the  edges  of  the  piece  intended 
for  the  garden.     Work  it  well  with  a  spade  and 
make  it  very  fine,  which  will  demand  but  very  little 
labour.     Then  place  a  line  along  very  truly ;  for, 
mind,  you  are  planting  for  generations  to  come  ! 
Take  the  spade,  put  the  edge  of  it  against  the  line  ; 
drive  it  down  eight  or  ten  inches  deep  ;  pull  the 
eye  of  the  spade  towards  you,  and  thus  you  make, 
all  along  a  little  open  cut  to  receive  the  roots  of 
the  plants,  which  you  will  then  put  ULUJ  the  cat, 


24  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

very  upright,  and  then  put  the  earth  against  them 
with  your  hand,  taking  care  riot  to  plant  them  deeper 
in  the  ground  than  they  stood  before  you  took  them 
up  from  the  nursery.  The  distance  between  each 
plant  is  twelve  inches.  When  this  line  is  done, 
plant  another  line  all  the  way  'along  by  the  side  of 
it,  and  at  six  inches  from  it,  in  exactly  the  same 
manner :  but,  mind,  in  this  second  line,  the  plants 
are  not  to  stand  opposite  the  plants  in  the  first  line, 
but  opposite  the  middles  of  the  intervals.  When 
both  lines  are  planted,  tread  gently  between  them 
and  also  on  the  outsides  of  them,  and  then  hoe  the 
ground  a  little,  and  leave  it  nice  and  neat. 

42.  This  work  should  be  done  in  the  first  or  se- 
cond week  of  October,  even  though  the  leaves  should 
yet  be  on  the  plants.     For,  their  roots  will  strike 
in  this  fine  month,  and  the  plants  will  be  ready  to 
start  off  in  the  spring  in  a  vigorous  manner.    If  you 
cannot  do  it  in  the  fall,  do  it  the  moment  the  ground 
is  fit  in  the  spring ;  because,  if  you  delay  it  too 
long,  the  heat  and  drought  comes,  and  the  plants 
cannot  thrive  so  well. 

43.  In  both  cases   the  plants  must  be  cut  down 
almost  close  to  the  ground.    If  you  plant  in  the  fall, 
cut  them  down  as  soon  as   the  frost  is  out  of  the 
ground  in  the  spring,  and  before  the  buds  begin  to 
swell;  and,  if  you  plant  in  the  spring,  cut  down  as 
soon  as  you  have  planted.    This  operation  is  of  in- 
dispensable necessity ;  for,  without  it  you  will  have 
no  hedge.      This  cutting  down  to  within  half  an 
inch  of  the  ground  will  cause  the  plants  to  send  out 
shoots  that  will,  in  good  ground,  mount  up  to  the 
length  of  three   or  four  feet,  during  the  summer. 
But,  you  must  keep  the  ground  between  them  and 
all  about  them  very  clean  and  frequently  hoed; 


I.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  £5 

for  the  quick-sets   love   good   culture  as  well  as 
other  plants. 

44.  Some  people  cut  down  again  the  next  spring: 
but,  this  ft  not  the  best  way.     Let  the  plants  stand 
two  summers  and  three  winters,  and  cut  them  all 
close  down  to  the  ground  as  you  can  in  the  spring, 
and  the  shoots  will  come  out  so  thick  and  so  strong, 
that  you  need  never  cut  down  any  more. 

45.  But,  you  must,  this  year,  begin  to  clip.     At 
Midsummer,   or  rather,   about  the  middle  of  July, 
yon  must  clip  off  the  top  a  little  and  the  sides  near 
the  top,  leaving  the  bottom  not  much  clipped ;  so 
that  the  side  of  the  hedge  may  slope  like  the  side 
of  a  pyramid.     The  hedge  will  shoot  again  imme 
diately,  and  will  have  shoots  six  inches  long,  per- 
haps, by  October.     Then,  before  winter,  you  must 
clip  it  again,  leaving  some  part  of  the  new  shoots, 
that  is  to  say,  not  cutting  down  to  your  last  cut, 
but  keeping  the  side  always  in  a  pyramidical  slope, 
so  that  the  hedge  may  always  be  wide  at  bottom 
and  sharp  at  the  top.     And  thus  the  he-dge  will  go 
on  getting  higher  and  higher,  and  wider  and  wider 
and  wider,  till  you  have  it  at  the  height  and  thick- 
ness  that  you  wish;  and  when  it  arrives  at  that 
point,  there  you  may  keep  it.      Ten  feet  high,  and 
five  feet  through  at  bottom,  is  what  I  should  choose ; 
because  then  I  have  fence,  shelter  and  shade  ;  but, 
in  the  way  of  fence,  five  feet  high  will  keep  the 
boldest  boy  off  from   trees   loaded  with  fine  ripe 
peaches,  or  from  a  patch  of  ripe  water-melons ;  arid, 
if  it  will  do  that,  nothing  further  need  be  said  upon 
the  subject!    The  height  is  not  great;  but,  unless 
the  assailant  have  wings,  he  must  be  content  with 
feasting  his  eyes  ;  for,  if  he  attempt  to  climb  the 
hedge,  his  hands  and  arms  and  legs  are  full  of  thorns 
in  a  moment;  and  he  retreats  as  the  fox  did  from 

3 


20  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

the  grapes,  only  with  pain  of  body  in  addition  to 
that  of  a  disappointed  longing.  I  really  feel  some 
remorse  in  thus  plotting  against  the  poor  fellows ; 
but,  the  worst  of  it  is,  they  will  not  be  content  with 
fair  play  :  they  will  have  the  earliest  in  the  season, 
and  the  best  as  long  as  the  season  lasts;  and,  there- 
fore, I  must,  however  reluctantly,  shut  them  out 
altogether. 

46.  A  hedge  five  clear  feet  high  may  be  got  in 
six  years  from  the  day  of  planting.  And,  now  let 
us  see  what  it  has  cost  to  get  this  fence  round  my 
proposed  garden,  which,  as  will  be  seen  under  the 
next  head,  is  to  be  300  feet  long  and  150  feet  wide, 
and  which  is,  of  course,  to  have  900  feet  length  of 
hedge.  The  plants  are  to  be  a  foot  apart  in  the 
line,  and  there  are  to  be  two  lines;  consequently, 
there  will  be  required  1800  plants,  or  suppose  it  to 
be  two  thousand.  I  think  it  will  be  strange  indeed, 
if  those  plants  cannot  be  raised  and  sold,  at  two 
years  old,  for  two  dollars  a  thousand.  I  mean  fine 
stout  plants ;  for,  if  your  plants  be  poor,  little  slen- 
der things  that  have  never  been  transplanted,  but 
just  pulled  up  out  of  the  spot  where  they  were 
sown,  your  hedge  will  be  a  year  longer  before  it 
come  to  a  fence,  and  will  never,  without  extraordi- 
nary care,  be  so  good  a  hedge ;  for,  the  plants 
ought  all  to  be  as  nearly  as  possible  of  equal  size  ; 
else  some  get  the  start  of  others,  subdue  them,  and 
keep  them  down,  and  this  makes  an  uneven  hedge, 
with  weak  parts  in  it.  And,  when  the  plants  are 
first  pulled  up  out  of  the  seed-bed,  they  are  too 
small  to  enable  you  clearly  to  ascertain  this  ine- 
quality of  size.  When  the  plants  are  taken  out  of 
the  seed-bed  and  transplanted  into  a  nursery,  they 
are  assorted  by  the  nursery  men,  who  are  used  to 
the  business.  The  strong  ones  are  transplanted 


I.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  27 

into  one  place,  ami  the  weak  ones  into  another:  so 
that,  when  they  come  to  be  used  for  a  hedge,  they 
are  already  equalized.  If  you  can  get  plants  three 
years  old  they  are  still  better.  They  will  make  a 
complete  hedge  sooner  ;  but,  if  they  be  two  years 
old,  have  been  transplanted,  and,  are  at  the  bottom, 
as  big  as  a  large  goose  quill,  they  are  every  thing 
that  is  required. 

47.  The  cost  of  the  plants  is,  then,  four  dollars. 
The  pruning  of  the  roots  and  the  planting  is  done, 
in  England,  for  about  three  half  pence  a  rod;  that 
is  to  say,  about  three  cents.  Let  us  allow  twelve 
cents  here.  I  think  I  could  earn  two  dollars  a  day 
at  this  work;  but,  let  us  allow  enough.  In  900 
feet  there  are  54  rod  and  a  few  feet  over:  and, 
therefore,  the  planting  of  the  hedge  would  cost 
about  seven  dollars,  To  keep  it  clean  from  weeds 
would  require  about  two  days  work  in  a  year  for 
five  or  six  years  :  twelve  dollars  more.  To  do  the 
necessary  clipping  during  the  same  time,  would  re- 
quire about  thirty  dollars,  if  it  were  done  in  an  ex- 
traordinary good  manner,  and  with  a  pair  of  Garden 
Shears.  So  that  the  expenses  to  get  a  complete 
hedge  round  the  garden  would  be  as  follows  : 

D.     c. 

Plants  ....  4  00 
Planting  ...  7  00 
Cultivation  .  .  12  00 
Clipping  ...  30  00 


Total     .     .     53     00 

49.  And  thus  are  a  fence,  shelter  and  shade,  of 
everlasting  duration,  for  a  garden,  containing  an 
acre  of  land,  to  be  obtained  for  this  trifling  sum ! 
Of  the  beauty  of  such  a  hedge  it  is  impossible  for 
any  one,  who  has  not  seen  it,  to  form  an  idea :  con- 


28  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

trusted  with  a  wooden,  or  even  a  brick  fence,  it  is 
like  the  land  of  Canaan  compared  with  the  deserts 
of  Arabia.  The  leaf  is  beautiful  in  hue  as  well  as 
in  shape.  It  is  one  of  the  very  earliest  in  the 
spring.  It  preserves  its  bright  green  during  the 
summer  heats.  The  branches  grow  so  thick  and 
present  thorns  so  numerous,  and  those  so  sharp,  as 
to  make  the  fence  wholly  impenetrable.  The  shelter 
it  gives  in  the  early  part  of  spring,  and  the  shade  it 
gives  (on  the  other  side  of  the  garden)  in  the  heat 
of  summer,  are  so  much  more  effectual  than  those 
given  by  wood  or  brick  or  stone  fences,  that  there 
is  no  comparison  between  them.  The  Primrose 
and  the  Violet,  which  are  the  earliest  of  all  the 
flowers  of  the  fields  in  England,  always  make  their 
first  appearance  under  the  wings  of  the  Haw-Thorn. 
Goldsmith,  in  describing  female  innocence  and  sim- 
plicity, says  :  "  Sweet  as  Primrose  peeps  beneath 
the  Thorn."  This  Haw-Thorn  is  the  favourite 
plant  of  England :  it  is  seen  as  a  flowering  shrub 
in  all  gentlemen's  pleasure-grounds  ;  it  is  the  con- 
stant ornament  of  paddocks  and  parks  ;  the  first  ap- 
pearance of  its  blossoms  is  hailed  by  old  and  young 
as  the  sign  of  pleasant  weather  ;  its  branches  of 
flowers  are  emphatically  called  "  May,"  because, 
according  to  the  Old  Style,  its  time  of  blooming  was 
about  the  first  of  May,  which,  in  England  is  called 
"  May-Day  ;"  in  short,  take  away  the  Haw-Thorn, 
and  you  take  away  the  greatest  beauty  of  the  En- 
glish fields  and  gardens,  and  not  a  small  one  from 
English  rural  poetry. 

49.  And  why  should  America  not  possess  this 
most  beautiful  and  useful  plant  ?  She  lias  English 
ge\v-gaws,  English  Play-Actors,  English  Cards  and 
English  Dice  and  Billiards  ;  English  fooleries  and 
English  vices  enough  in  all  conscience  ;  and  why 


I.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  29 

not  English  Hedges,  instead  of  post-and-rail  and 
board  fences  ?  If,  instead  of  these  steril-looking  and 
cheerless  enclosures  the  gardens  and  meadows  and 
fields,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  New  York  and  other 
cities  and  towns,  were  divided  by  quick-set  hedges, 
what  a  difference  would  the  alteration  make  in  the 
look,  and  in  the  real  value  too,  of  those  gardens, 
meadows  and  fields! 

50.  It  may  be  said,  perhaps,  that,  after  you  have 
g-ot  your  hedge  to  the  desired  height,  it  must  still 
be  kept  clipped  twice    in  the  summer  ;  and  that, 
therefore,  if  the  fence  is  everlasting,  the  trouble  of 
it  is  also  everlasting.     But,  in  the  first  place,  you 
can  have  nothing  good  from  the  earth  without  an- 
nual care.     In  the  next  place,  a  wooden  fence  will 
soon  want  nailing  and  patching  annually,  during  the 
years  of  its   comparatively  short  duration.     And, 
lastly,  what  is  the  annual  expense  of  clipping,  when 
you  have  got  your  hedge  to  its  proper  height  and 
width,  and  when  the  work  may  be  done  with  a  long- 
handled  hook  instead  of  a  pair  of  shears,  which  is 
necessary  at  first?    In  England  such  work  is  done 
for  a  penny  a  rod,  twice  in  the  summer.     Allow 
three  times  as  much  in  America,  and  then  the  an- 
nual expense  of  the  garden  hedge  will  be  less  than 
four  dollars  a  year. 

51.  Thus,   then,  at  the  end  of  the  first  twenty 
years,  the  hedge  would  have  cost  a  hundred  and 
nine  dollars.     And,  for  ever  after,  it  would  cost 
only  eighty  dollars  in  twenty  years.     Now,  can  a 
neat  boarded  fence,  if  only  eight  feet  high,  and  to 
last  twenty  years,  be  put  up  for  less  that  six  dol- 
lars a  rod  ?    I  am   convinced  that  it  cannot ;   and, 
then,  here  is  an  expense  for  every  twenty  years,  of 
three  hundred  and  forty-eight  dollars.     A  Locust 
fence,  I  allow,  will  last  for  ever ;  but,  then,  what 

3* 


30  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 

will  a,  fence  all  of  Locust,  cost  1  Besides  the  differ- 
ence  in  the  look  of  the  tiling  ;  besides  the  vast  (in- 
ference in  ine  nature  and  effect  of  the  shelter  r.nd 
the  shade  ;  and  besides,  that,  after  all,  you  have,  in 
the  wooden  lerice,  no  effectual  protection  against 
invader s. 

52.  However,  there  is  one  thing,  which  must  not 
be  omitted;  and  that  is,  that  the  hedge  will  not  be 
&  fence,  or,  at  least,  I  would  not  look  upon  it  as 
such,  until  it  had  been  planted  six  years.     During 
these  six  years,  there  must  be  a  fence  all  round  on 
the  outside  of  it,  to  keep  off  pigs,  sheep  and  cattle : 
for,  as  to  the  two-legged  assailants  nothing  will  keep 
them  off  except  a  quick-set  hedge.    If  I  had  to  make 
this  temporary  fence,  it  should  be  a  dead  hedge, 
made  of  split  hickory  rods,  like  those  that  hoops 
are  made  of,  and  with  stakes  of  the  stoutest  parts  of 
the  same    rods,  or  of  oak  saplings,  or  some  such 
things.      The   workmanship   of    this,    if    I  had  a 
Hampshire  or  Sussex  hedger,  would   not  cost  me 
more  than  six  cents  a  rod  :  perhaps,  the  stuff  would 
not  cost  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  dollar  a  rod  ;  and 
this  fence  would  last,  with  a  little  mending,  as  long 
as  I  should  want  it.    But,  as  few  good  hedgers  come 
from  England,  and  as  those  who   do  come  appear 
to  think,  that  they  have  done  enough  of  hedging  in 
their  own  country,  or,  if  they  be  set  to  hedging  here, 
seem  to  look  upon  themselves  as  a  sort  of  conjurors, 
and  to  expect  to  be  paid  and  treated  accordingly, 
the  best  way,  probably,  is,  to  put  up  a  temporary 
post-and-nil  fence,  sufficient  to  keep  out  a  sucking 
pig  :  and  to  keep  this  fence  standing  until  the  hedge 
has  arrived  at  the  age  of  six  years,  as  before  men- 
tioned. 

53.  There  yet  remains  one  advantage,  and  that 
not  a  small  one,  that  a  quick-set  hedge  possesses 


1.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  31 

over  every  other  sort  of  fence ;  and  that  is,  that  it 
effectually  keeps  out  poultry,  the  depredations  of 
which,  in  a  nice  garden,  are  so  intolerable,  that  it 
frequently  becomes  a  question,  whether  the  garden 
shall  be  abandoned,  or  the  poultry  destroyed.  Fowls 
seldom,  or  never,  fly  over  a  fence.  They,  from  mo- 
tives of  prudence,  first  alight  upon  it,  and  then  drop 
down  on  the  other  side  ;  or,  if  they  perceive  dan- 
ger, turn  short  about,  and  drop  back  again,  making 
a  noise  expressive  of  their  disappointment.  Now, 
Fowls  will  alight  on  wooden,  brick,  or  stone  fences; 
but  never  on  a  quick-set  hedge,  which  affords  no 
steady  lodgment  for  their  feet,  and  which  wounds 
their  legs  and  thighs  and  bodies  with  its  thorns. 

54.  What  has  been  said  here  of  forming  a  hedge 
applies  to  meadows  and  fields  as  well  as  to  gardens  ; 
observing,  however,  that,  in  all  cases,  the  ground 
ought  to  be  well  prepared,  and  cattle,  sheep  and 
pigs  kept  effectually  off,  until  the  hedge  arrive  at 
its  sixth  year. 

55.  If  I  am  asked  how  the  white  thorn  plants  are 
to  be  had  in  America,  I  answer,  that  I  saw  a  Tree 
of  Hawthorn  at  McAllister's  Tavern,  near  Harris- 
burg,  in  Pennsylvania,  loaded  with  red  berries.    In 
short,  one  large  tree,  or  bush,  would   soon  stock 
the  whole  country ;  and  they  may  be  brought  from 
England,  either  in  plant  or  in  berry.     But,  there 
are  many  here  already.     If  more  are  wanted,  they 
can  be  had  any  month  of  December,  being  shipped 
from  England,  in  barrels,  half  sand  and  half  berries 
in  November.    The  berries,  which  are  called  haws 
are  ripe  in  November.    They  are  beaten  down  from 
the  tree,  and  cleared  from  leaves  and  bits  of  wood. 
Then   they  are  mixed  with    sand,   or  earth,  four 
bushels  of  sand,  or  of  earth,  to  a  bushel  of  haws. 
They  are  thus  put  into  a  cellar,  or  other  cool  place  ; 


32  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

and  here  they  remain,  always  about  as  moii;:  as 
common  earth,  until  sixteen  months  after  they  arc 
put  in  ;  that  is  to  say,  through  a  winter,  a  summer, 
and  another  winter ;  and  then  they  are  sown  (in 
America)  as  soon  as  the  frost  is  clean  out  of  the 
ground.  They  ought  to  be  sown  in  little  drills; 
the  drills  a  foot  a  part,  and  the  haws  about  as  thick 
as  peas  in  the  drills.  Here  they  come  up ;  and, 
when  they  have  stood  'till  the  next  year,  you  pro- 
ceed with  them  in  the  manner  pointed  out  in  para- 
graph 40. 

56.  These  haws  may  be  had  from  Liverpool,  from 
London,  or  from  almost  any  port  in  Great  Britain 
or  Ireland.    But,  they  can  be  had  only  in  the  months 
of  November  and  December.     Seldom  in  the  latter  ; 
for,  the  birds  eat  them  at  a  very  early  period.  They 
are  ripe  early  in  November ;  and,  half  haws  half 
sand,  may  be  had,  I  dare  say,  for  two  dollars  a  bar- 
rel, at  any  place.      Three  barrels  would  fence  a 
farm  !  And,  as  America  owes  to  Europe  her  Wheat, 
why  be  ashamed  to  add  fences  to  the  debt  ?   But 
(and  with  this  I  conclude,)  if  there  be  a  resolution 
formed  to  throw  all  lands  to  common,  rather  than 
take  the  trifling  trouble  to  make  live  fences,  I  do 
hope  that  my  good  neighbours  will  not  ascribe  these 
remarks  to  any  disposition  in  rue  to  call  in  question 
the  wisdom  of  that  resolution.     Figure  I,  in  Plate 
IV.  exhibits  a  piece  of  the  Garden-Hedge  in  eleva- 
tion, in  the  winter  season.     See  this  Plate  IV.  in 
Chapter  V. 

LAYING-OUT. 

57.  The  Laying-out  of  a  Garden  consists  in  the 
division  of  it  into  several  parts,  and  in  the  allotting 
of  those  several  parts  to  the  several  purposes  for 
which  a  garden  is  made.     These  parts  consist  o/ 


THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 


33 


34  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

Walks,   Paths,   Plats,   Borders  and    a   Hot-Bed 
Ground,. 

58.  To  render  my  directions  more  clear  as  well 
as  more  brief,  I  have  given  a  plan  of  my  proposed 
garden,  PLATE  I.     This  is  not,  strictly  speaking,  a 
plan  ;  because  it  exhibits  trees  in  elevation ;  but  it 
will  answer  the  purpose.     Of  the  sorts  of  which 
these  trees  are,  and  of  other  circumstances  belong- 
ing to  them,  I  shall  speak  fully  under  the  head  of 
Fruits.     The  precise  description  of  the  Hot-Beds 
will  be  found  under  that  head.     At  present  my  ob- 
ject is  to  explain  the  mode  of  Laying-out  the  Ground. 

59.  The  length  of  the  Garden  is  100  yards,  the 
breadth  50  yards,  and  the  area  contains  a  statute 
acre  ;  that  is,  160  Rods  of  161  feet  to  the  Rod.    In 
order  to  bring  my  length  and  breadth  within  round 
numbers,  I  have  been  obliged  to  add  6  rod  and  58 
square  feet ;  but,  with  this  trifling  addition  here  is 
a  spot  containing  an  acre   of  land.     Before,  how- 
ever, I  proceed  further,  let  me  give  my  reasons  for 
choosing  an  Oblong  Square,  instead  of  a  Square  of 
equal  sides.     It  will  be  seen,  that  the  length  of  my 
garden  is  from  East  to  West.    By  leaving  a  greater 
length  in  this  direction  than  from  North  to  South, 
three  important  advantages  are  secured.    First,  we 
get  a  long  and  warm  border  under  the  North  fence 
for  the  rearing  of  things  early  in  the  spring.     Se- 
cond, we  get  a  long-  and  cool  border  under  the  South 
fence  for  shading;  during  the  great  heats,  things,  to 
which  a  burning  sun  is  injurious.     Fourth,  by  this 
shape  of  the  area  of  the  Garden  a  larger  portion  of 
the  whole  is  sheltered,  during  winter  and  spring, 
from  the  bleak  winds. 

60.  Having  such  a  spot  before  us,  liltle  difficulty 
can  arise  in  Laying  it  out*     Indeed,  it  is  only  ne- 
cess&ry  to  state  the  dimensions.    The  several  parts 


I.]  HE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  3?> 

are  distinguished  by  numbers.  The  long  walk, 
running  from  East  to  West,  is  6  feet  wide,  as  is 
also  the  cross  walk,  in  the  middle.  All  the  paths 
are  3  feet  wide.  The  borders,  Nos.  2  and  3,  are  9 
feet  wide.  The  dimensions  of  the  Plats  Nos.  5,  7, 
8,  9,  10,  and  11,  are  (each)  70  feet  from  East  to 
West  and  56  from  North  to  South.  Plat,  No.  6,  is 
56  feet  by  50.  Plat,  No.  4,  is  60  feet  by  36.  The 
Hot-bed  Ground,  No.  1,  is  70  feet  by  36.  I  leave 
trifling  fractions  unnoticed.  In  the  English  garden- 
ing books,  they  call  those  parts  of  the  garden 
"  Quarters,"'  which  I  call  Plats  ;  but,  for  what  rea- 
son they  so  call  them  it  would  be  difficult  to  conjec- 
ture. I  call  them  plats,  which  is  the  proper  word, 
and  a  word,  too,  universally  understood.  A  plat  is 
a  piece  of  ground :  and  it  implies,  that  the  piece  is 
small,  compared  with  other  htrger  portions,  such  as 
fields,  lots,  and  the  like.  I  will  just  anticipate  here, 
that  when  beds  for  asparagus,  onions,  and  other 
things,  are  made,  they  should  run  across  the  plats 
from  North  to  South  ;  and  that  rows  of  Corn,  Peas, 
and  Beans,  and  other  larger  things  in  rows,  should 
have  the  same  direction.  But,  when  beds  are  sown 
with  smaller  things,  the  rows  of  those  things  must 
go  across  the  beds ;  as  will  be  seen  when  we  come 
to  speak  of  sowing. 

61.  As  to  the  art  of  Laying-out,  it  would  be  to 
tn-sult  the  understanding  of  an  American  Farmer  to 
suppose  him  to  stand  in  need  of  any  instructions. 
\  chain,  or  a  line,  and  pole,  are  all  he  can  want  for 
the  purpose,  and  those  he  has  always  at  hand.  To 
form  the  walks  and  paths,  is,  in  fact,  to  lay  out  the 
Garden  ;  but,  the  walks  and  paths  must  be  made 
not  only  visible,  but  must  be  dug  out.  The  way  is 
to  take  out  the  earth  about  four  inches  deep,  and 
spread  it  ovei  the  adjoining  ground,  some  on  each 


36  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

side  of  the  walk  or  path,  taking  care  to  fling,  or 
carry,  the  earth,  so  dug  out,  to  such  a  distance,  that 
every  part  of  the  ground,  which  i-«  not  walk  or  path, 
receive  an  equal  proportion  of  what  is  thus  dug  out. 
Gravel  may  be  put  in  the  walks  and  paths  :  it  makes 
the  whole  look  neater ;  but,  in  a  country  where  the 
frost  is  so  hard  in  winter  and  the  ground  so  dry  in 
summer,  gravel  can  hardly  be  said  to  be  necessary , 
while  it  maybe  troublesome;  for,  in  spite  of  all 
you  can  do,  a  part  of  it  will  get  into  the  borders  ; 
and,  there  it  must  do  harm. 

62.  It  will  be  seen,  that  about  a  third  part  of  the 
Garden  is  appropriated  to  Fruit  Trees.  The  rea- 
son for  this,  and  the  uses  of  the  other  parts  of  the 
ground,  will  be  fully  stated  in  the  Chapters  on  Cul- 
tivation. I  have  here  treated  merely  of  the  form 
and  the  dimensions,  and  of  the  division,  of  the  Gar- 
den. It  is  in  treating  of  the  cultivation  of  the  seve- 
ral sorts  of  plants  that  our  attention  will  be  brought 
back  to  a  close  contemplation  of  the  several  parts 
included  in  this  division. 


CHAPTER  II. 

On  the  Making  and  Managing  of  Hot  Beds  and 
Green-houses. 

HOT-BEDS. 

63.  I  AM  not  about  to  lay  down  rules  for  person? 
who  can  afford  to  have  cucumbers  in  March.  This 
amounts  to  something  little  short  of  folly  in  Eng- 
land :  in  America,  it  would  be  something  worse. 
But,  Hot-Beds,  as  things  of  real  use,  are  more  ne- 
cessary in  America  than  in  England  ;  because  in  the 
former  country,  the  winter  will  not  suffer  to  exisi 


II.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  37 

in  the  open  air  many  plants,  which  are  wanted  to 
start  with  the  warm  sun,  and  which  plants  the  win- 
ter will  suffer  to  exist  in  the  open  air  in  England 
The  American  Spring  bears  no  resemblance  to  thai 
of  England,  which  comes  on  by  degree*  from  the 
end  of  February  to  the  beginning  of  June;  while 
the  American  Spring  cannot  be  said  to  be  of  a  fort- 
night's duration.  There  is,  in  fact,  no  Spring :  there 
is  a  Winter,  a  Summer  and  an.  Autumn,  but  no 
Spring;  and  none  would  ever  have  been  thought 
of,  if  the  word  had  not  come  from  Europe  along 
with  many  others  equally  inapplicable. 

64.  This  sudden  transition  from  a  winter,  which 
not  only  puts  a  total  stop  to,  but  effaces  all  traces, 
of,  vegetation,  to  a  summer,  which,  in  an  instant, 
creates  swarms  of  insects,  or  warms  them  into  life, 
sets  the  sap  in  rapid  motion,  and,  in  six  days,  turns 
a  brown  rye-field  into  a  sheet  of  the  gayest  ver- 
dure ;  this  sudden  transition  presents  the  gardener, 
or  the  farmer,  with  ground  well  chastened  by  the 
frost,  smoking  with  fermentation,  and  with  a  sua 
ready  to  push  forward  every  plant ;  but,  alas  !  he 
has  no  plants !  I  know,  that  there  are  persons,. 
who  do  preserve  lettuce,  cabbage,  and  other  plants, 
during  the  winter,  and  that  there  are  persons,  wha 
rear  them  on  Hot-beds  in  the  Spring;  but,  what  I 
aim  at,  is,  to  render  the  work  easy  to  farmers  in 
particular ;  not  only  as  the  means  of  supplying 
their  tables,  but  the  stalls  of  their  cattle,  and  the 
yards  qf  their  sheep  and  pigs.  In  the  summer  (a 
cruelly  dry  one)  of  1819,  who,  within  many  mile* 
of  my  house  in  Long  Island,  had  a  loavcd  cabbage, 
except  myself?  During  June,  July  and  August,  I 
allowed  fifteen  a,  day  for  my  own  family :  I  gave 
ten  a  day  to  one  neighbour ;  to  others  I  gave  about 
five  hundred,  perhaps,  first  and  last ;  and,  the  plants 
4 


38  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap, 

were  all  raised  in  one  single  light,  four  feet  by 
three  and  a  half,  on  a  hot-bed,  made  on  the  IQth  of 
March.  The  hot-bed  had  six  lights  altogether,  and 
was  about  twenty  feet  long ;  but,  the  part  appro- 
priated to  these  cabbages  was  only  four  feet  by  three 
and  a  half.  The  plants  came  out  of  this  bed  on 
the  20£A  of  April  and  were  planted  three  inches 
apart  on  another  bed,  without  glass,  but  covered  at 
night  with  a  cloth.  On  the  2Qth  of  May,  they  were 
planted  out  in  the  open  ground  ;  and,  on  the  llth 
of  June  we  began  to  eat  them.  All  these  cabbages, 
Early  Dwarfs,  Early  Yorks,  Sugar  Loaves,  and 
Battersea,  (coming  in  one  sort  after  the  other) 
amounting  to  about  four  thousand  in  number,  stood, 
when  planted  out,  upon  rather  less  than  thirty  rods 
of  ground  ;  and  the  earliest  sorts,  while  we  were 
using  them  so  liberally,  were  selling  in  New  York 
market  at  from  6  to  4  pence  a  piece. 

65.  To  preserve,  during  Winter,  such  a  number 
of  plants,  or,  indeed,  any  number,  however  small,  is 
a  work  of  great  difficulty,  and  is  merely  chance- 
work  after  all.    Besides,  fall-sown  plants  are  not  so 
good  as  spring-sown.     They  become  stunted;  and 
they  very  frequently  go  off  to  seed,  instead  of  pro- 
ducing loaves.     However,  it  is  not  my  business  to 
treat  here  of  cultivation  :  I  am  here  to  speak  of  the 
Making  and  Managing  of  hot-beds.     This  must, 
of  course,   include  a  description  of  the  Wood  and 
Glass,  when  formed  into  Frames  and  Lights.    But, 
first   of   all,    I    must  treat   of  the  making    of  the 

;bed. 

66.  The  materials  of  which  the  bed  is  to  be  com- 
; posed,  and   the  manner  of  preparing  those  mate- 
trials,  are  first  to  be  spoken  of. 

67.  Dung  of  horses,  cattle,  sheep  or  pigs,  is  used 
o  make  the  bed  of.     Either  riay  be  made  to  do. 


II]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  39 

with  a  greater  or  less  degree  of  care  and  trouble  ; 
but,  the  best  possible  thing  is  dung  from  the  stable, 
taken  away  before  it  has  been  rotted,  short  and  long 
promiscuously,  but  rather  long  than  short.  If  there 
be  a  large  proportion  of  short,  it  may  have  any  lit- 
ter added  to  it ;  any  broken  straw  or  hay  or  corn 
stalks,  in  order  to  make  a  due  mixture  of  long  and 
short. 

68.  This  choosing  of  the  materials  being  a  very 
important  point,  I  shall,   in   order  to  make  rny  in- 
structions clear,  suppose  a  case,  and  such  a  case  as 
will  be  very  clear  to  every  American  Farmer. 

69.  By  the  month  of  March  he  has  always  a  heap 
of  dung,  which  has,  from  time  to  time,  been  thrown 
out  of  his  stable,  during  the  winter  and  fall.    This 
is  some  long  and  some  short.     Let  the  whole  of 
this  (supposing  there  to  be  three  horses  kept)  be 
taken  ;  and,  in  addition,  a  pretty  good  wagon  load 
of  long  stained  stuff  from  the  cow-yard,  or  sheep- 
yard.    Toss  it  down  in  a  heap,  near  where  you  are 
going  to  make  the  bed.     Then  begin  on  one  side  of 
it,   and  take   the  stuff  and  begin  making  a  fresh 
heap  of  it.     Shake  every  fork  full  well  to  pieces, 
and  mix  well  the  long  with  the  short ;  and  thus  go 
on,  till  you  have  the  whole  in  a  round  heap  rising 
to  a  point. 

70.  The  second  day  after  this  heap  is  made  it  will 
begin   to   send  forth  steam.     Let  it  remain  three 
days  in  this  state  ;  that  is  to  say,  four  clear  days 
after  the  day  of  making  the  heap.     Then  turn  the 
heap  back  again  ;  shaking  all  well  to  pieces,  as  be- 
fore, and  bringing  to  the  inside  that  part  of  the  stuff 
which  was  before  on  the  outside  of  the  heap.     Let 
it  remain  now  three  clear  days  after  the  day  of  turn- 
ing.    Then  turn  it  again  ;  shaking  well  to  pieces, 
as  before,  and  bringing  again  the  outside  stuff  t3 


40  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENl  R.  [Chap 

the  inside.     When  it  has  remained  two  clear  days 
in  this  state,  it  is  fit  to  make  the  bed  with. 

71.  In  the  making  the  bed  you  will  proceed  as 
directed  below;  but  I  must  first  describe  the  Frame 
and  the  Lights.     Were  I  speaking  to  persons  liv 
ing  in  a  country,  where  there  is  no  such  thing  as  a 
hot-bed  frame,  I  should  be  obliged  to  enter  into  a 
detailed  mechanical  description.     But,  as  Frames 
and  Lights  are  to  be  seen  in  almost  every  consider- 
able town  in  America  ;  and,  as  I  have  known  very 
few  American  Farmers,  who  are  not  able  to  make 
both  with  their  own  hands,  without  any  help  from 
either  carpenter  or   glazier,  it  will  be  necessary 
merely  for  me  to  say,  that  the  Frame  is  of  the  best 
shape  when  it  is  eighteen  inches  deep  at  the  back, 
and  nine  inches  deep  at  the  front.     This  gives  slope 
enough,  and  especially  in  a  country  where  there  is 
so  little  rainy  weather.     The  Frame  is  the  wood 
work,  on  which  the  Lights,  or  glass-work,  are  laid. 
There  needs  no  more  than  a  good  look  at  a  thing  of 
this  sort  to  know  how  to  make  it,  or  to  order  it  to 
be  made.     And,  as  it  is  useless  to  make  a  hot-bed 
without  having  the  Frame  and  the  Lights  ready,  I 
shall  suppose  them  to  be  prepared.     I  suppose  a 
three-light  Frame,  four  feet  wide   and    nine  feet 
long,  which,  of  course,  will  make  every  Light  three 
feet  wide  sand  four  long;  because,  the  long  way  of 
the   Light  fits,   of  course,    the  cross  way   of  the 
Frame. 

72.  Now,  then,  to  the  work  of  making-  the  bed. 
The  frcvnt  of  the  bed  is,  of  course,  to  be  full  South, 
so  that  the  noon  sun  may  come  right  upon  the  glass. 
The  length  and  width  of  the  bed  must  be  those  ot 
the  Frame.     Therefore,  take  the  Frame  itself,  and 
place  it  O7i  the  spot  which  you  mean  the  bed  to  stand 
on.    See  that  you  have  it  rightly  placed  ;  and  then, 


II.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  41 

with  a  pointed  stick,  make  a  mark  in  the  ground  all 
round  the  outside  of  the  Frame.  Then  take  the 
Frame  away.  Then  take  some  sharp-pointed 
straight  stakes,  and  drive  them  in  the  ground,  at 
each  corner  of  this  marked-out  place  for  the  bed,  and 
one  or  two  on  the  back  and  on  the  front  side.  Let 
these  be  about  four  feet  high.  They  are  to  be  your 
guides  in  building  the  bed  ;  and,  they  ought,  there- 
fore, to  be  very  straight,  and  to  be  placed  perfectly 
upright.  Each  stake  may  be  placed  about  an  inch 
further  out  than  the  mark  on  the  ground ;  for  fear 
of  having  the  bed  too  narrow ;  though,  observe, 
the  bed  should  be  as  nearly  the  same  length  and 
breadth  as  the  Frame  as  it  is  practicable  to  make  it. 

73.  In  order  to  begin  the  work  well,  it  is  a  very 
good  way,  to  put  some  boards  on  their  edges,   on 
the  ground,  at  the  ends  and  sides,  on  the  insides  of 
the  stakes ;  so  as  to  have  a  sort  of  open  box  to  be- 
gin to  make  the  bed  in.     The  eye  of  a  gardener 
scorns  such  assistance  ;  but  it  is  very  useful  to  per- 
sons unused  to  the  work. 

74.  Thus,  all  being  prepared,  you  begin  making 
the  bed.    Begin  taking  the  dung  on  the  side  of  your 
heap  nearf  st  to  the  spot  where  you  are  building  the 
bed.     Keep  taking  up  clean  to  the  ground.     Have 
shovel  as  well  as  fork.    Take  long  and  short  fairly, 
and  mix  them  well  as  you  put  them  in.     Shake  the 
stuff  in   such  a   way  as   not  to  suffer  any  lumps. 
Shake  every  straw  from  every  other  straw.    Let  the 
bed  rise  in  all  parts  together  as  nearly  as  possible. 
That  is  to  say,  do  not  put  much  in  one  part  at  one 
time.     Beat  the  whole  down  with  the  fork  as  you 
proceed.     When  you  have  shaken  on  dung  to  the 
thickness  of  four  or  five  inches,  beat  all  over  well 
again  ;  and  so   on,   till  the  work  be  finished.     But 
wind:  you  must  be  verv  careful  to  keep  the  edge* 

4* 


42  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

of  the  bod  well  beaten  ;  or  else  they  will  be  more 
hollow,  and  wiJl  sink  more,  than  the  rest,  and  then 
the  earth  on  the  bed  will  crack  in  the  middle.  Beat 
them  well ;  keep  them  well  up  as  you  proceed ; 
beat  wnll  the  sides  of  the  bed,  as  it  goes  on  rising. 
Comb  the  sides  frequently  down  with  the  spanes  of 
the  fork.  And,  in  short,  make  the  sides  upright, 
and  smooth  and  neat  as  a  wall.  As  you  proceed, 
measure  the  height  frequently ;  in  the  different 
parts  of  the  bed,  to  see  that  you  are  keeping  the 
height  every  where  the  same.  At  last,  shovel  and 
sweep  up  all  the  short  earthy  stuff  round  the  bed 
and  where  your  dung-heap  was,  and  lay  it  very 
smoothly  on  the  top  of  the  bed  ;  and  make  all  as 
smooth  and  as  level  as  a  die  with  the  back  of  your 
shovel. 

75.  Thus  the  bed   is  made.     Then  put  on  the 
Frame,  and  fix  it  nicely.    Then  put  the  Lights  upon 
the  Frame.     If  you  finish  your  bed  by  noon,  the 
heat  will  begin  to  rise  by  the  next  morning ;  and, 
by  the  noon  of   the  second  day  after  the  bed  is 
made,  the  heat  will  be  up.     Poke  your  finger  as 
deep  as  you  can  into  the  middle  of  the  bed,  when 
you  have  taken  off  one  of  the  Lights.     If  the  heat 
be  so  great  as  to  burn  your  finger  ;  that  is  to  say, 
if  you  cannot  endure  the  heat ;  then  it  is  too  great 
to  receive  the  earth  ;  but,  if  not,  put  on  the  earth  all 
over  the  bed.    If  the  heat  be  too  great,  give  the  bed 
a  little   air,   and  wait  till  a  little   of  the  heat  be 
gone  off. 

76.  The  earth  should  be  dry  ;  not  like  dust ;  but, 
not  wet.     I  made  provision  for  my  bed,  by  putting 
earth  in  my  cellar,  in  November.     It  is  not  much 
that  is  wanted.     The  bed  is  to  be  covered  all  over, 
about  six  inches  deep.     When  the  earth  has  been 
on  twenty-four  hours,  take  «ff  the  lights,  and  stir 


II.)  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  43 

the  earth  well  with  your  hands  ;  for,  hands  are  the 
only  tools  used  in  a  hot-bed.  When  you  have 
stirred  the  earth  well,  and  made  it  level  and  smooth, 
you  may  sow  your  seed,  if  you  do  not  find  the  earth 
too  hot.  But,  observe,  the  earth  is  to  be  level,  and 
not  sloping  like  the  glass.  The  glass  is  sloping  to 
meet  the  sun,  and  to  turn  off  the  wet ;  but,  the  earth 
must  lie  perfectly  level ;  and  this,  you  will  observe, 
is  a  very  great  point. 

77.  Next  comes  the  act  of  sowing,     The  more 
handsomely  this  is  done,  the  better  it  is  done.     A 
handsome  dress  is  better  than  an  ugly  one,  not  be- 
cause it  is  warmer,  or  cooler,  but  because,  liking  it 
better,  being  more  pleased  with  it,  we  take  more 
care  of  it.    Those  who  have  seen  two  or  three  wo- 
men together,  crossing  dirty  streets,  or  in  danger 
from  horses  or  carriages,  where  the  volunteer  as- 
sistance of  men  became  useful ;  those  philosophers, 
who  have  been  spectators  of  scenes  like  this,  cannot 
have  failed  to  discover,  that  humanity,  like  smote, 
is  very  apt  to  fly  to  the  fairest ;  and  I  much  ques- 
tion whether  Nicodernus  Broadbrim  himself,  if  he 
saw  a  pretty  girl  and  an  ugly  one  stuck  in  the  mud, 
would  not  give  his  hand  to  the  former.     He  would 
hand  them  both  out  to  a  certainty ;  but,  he  would 
extricate  the   pretty  one  first.     There  is   a  great 
deal  in   the  look  of  our  gardens  and  fields ;  and, 
surely,  in  so  diminutive  a  concern  as  a  hot-bed,  all 
ought  to  be  neat  and  regular.    Seeds  are  great  tell- 
tales ;  for,  when  they  come  up,  we  discover  all  the 
carelessness  that  may  have  prevailed  at  the  sowing 
of  them. 

78.  When  you  have  taken  off  all  the  lights,  make 
little  drills  with  your  finger,  from  the  back  of  the 
bed  to  the  front,  half  an  inch  deep  and  about  an 
in<  k  apart.    Make  them  equi-distant,  parallel,  and 


44  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

straight.  Then  drop  in  your  Cabbage  seeds  along 
the  drills,  very  thin ;  but,  twenty  seeds,  perhaps  in 
an  inch ;  for,  some  will  not  grow,  and  some  may 
be  pulled  up  when  they  appear.  It  is  better  to  have 
rather  too  many  than  too  few.  .  When  you  have 
dropped  in  your  seeds  all  over  the  bed,  and  distin- 
guished the  several  sorts  of  Cabbages  by  names,  or 
numbers,  written  on  a  bit  of  paper,  and  put  into 
the  cleft  of  a  little  stick,  stuck  in  the  ground  ;  then 
cover  all  the  seeds  over  neatly  and  smoothly.  Put 
on  the  lights  ;  and  look  upon  your  spring  work  as 
happily  begun. 

79.  But,  now  we  come  to  the  management  of  a 
hot-bed.     And,  observe,  that  the  main  principle  is, 
always  to  give  as  much  air  as  the  plants  will  en- 
dure.    I  have  always  observed,  that  the  great  and 
prevalent  error  is,  an  endeavour  to  obtain,  by  exclu- 
sion of  air,  something  to  make  up  for  the  want  of 
bottom  heat.     It  is  not  thus  that  nature  operates. 
She  gives  the  air  as  well  as  the  heat ;  and,  without 
the  former  she  gives  nothing.     I  suppose  the  hot- 
bed, made  as   above,   to  be  about  four  feet  high, 
when  just  finished.     It  will  sink  as  it  heats  ;   and 
will,  at  last,  come  to  about  a  foot  and  a  half.     Its 
heat  will  gradually  diminish  ;  but,  it  will  give  a 
great  heat  for  about  six  weeks  ;  and  some  heat  for 
four  months.     It  is   this   bottom  heat  that  makes 
things  grow.     The  sun  is  often  hot  in  May ;  but, 
it  is  not  till  the  earth  is  warm  that  vegetation  ad- 
vances with  rapidity. 

80.  Having  secured   the  bottom,  heat,  make  free 
with  the  air.     Even  before  the   seeds  begin  to  ap- 
pear, give  air  to  the  bed  e  7ery  day,  unless  it  be  very 
cold  weather  indeed.     The  usual  way  of  giving  air 
is  by  bits  of  thick  board,  cut  in  the  shape  of  a  tri- 
angle, or.  rather,  like  a  wedge,  broad  at  one  end, 


Il.J  THE    AMERICAN    GARDEN!  I.  45 

and  coming  to  a  point  at  the  other.  Each  light  is 
lifted  up,  either  at  back  or  front  of  the  frame,  as 
the  wind  may  be,  and  the  wedge,  or  tilter,  as  it  is 
called,  is  put  in,  to  hold  the  light  up.  But,  if  more 
air  be  wanted,  the  lights  may  be  shoved  up,  or 
down ;  and,  in  a  fine  day,  actually  taken  off. 

81.  When  the  plants  come  up,  they  will  soon  tell 
you  all   about  air  ;  for,  if  they  have  not  enough, 
they  will  draw  up  long-legged,  and  will  have  small 
seed  leaves,  and,   indeed,  if  too  much  deprived  of 
air,  will  drop  down  and  die.     Take  care  in  time  to 
prevent  this.     Let  them  grow  strong-  rather  than 
tall.     Short  stems,  broad  seed  leaves,  very  green ; 
these  are  the  signs  of  good  plants  and  proper  ma- 
nagement. 

82.  It  will  be  necessary  to  water.     Take  off  a 
light  at  a  time,  and  water  with  a  watering  pot  that 
does  not  pour  out  heavily.     Water  just  about  sun- 
set :  and  then  shut  down   the  lights  ;   and  the  heat 
will   then  rise,   and  make  the  plants  grow  prodi 
giously. 

83.  As  soon   as  the  plants  are  fairly  up,  thin 
them,  leaving/owr  in  an  inch;  and  stir  the  ground 
about,  at  the    same  time  with  your  finger.     This 
will  leave  in  the  frame  from  twenty-jive  to  thirty 
thousand  plants.     If  you  want  less,  sow  in  wide 
rows  and  thinner  in  the  row.    But,  above  all  things, 
give  air    enough.      Do  not   attempt  to   make  the 
plants  grow  fast.     You  are  sure  to  destroy  them, 
if  you  make  this  attempt.     Have  patience.     The 
plants  will  be  ready  soon  enough.    Get  them  strong 
and  green  ;  and,  to   do  this,  you  must  give  them 
plenty  of  air.     Remember,  that,  out  of  a  thousand 
failures  in  hot-bed  culture,  nine  hundred  and  ninety 
fine  arise  from  the  giving  of  too  little  air. 

84    Before  I  p  oceed  to  the  time  of  taking  the 


16  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

plants  out  of  the  bed,  I  must  make  a  remark  or 
two  respecting-  shelter  for  hot-beds  ;  and  this  leads 
me  back  to  the  Plan  of  the.  Garden.  In  that  plan 
(Plate  I.)  is  the  Hot-bed  Ground,  No.  1,  which  is 
70  feet  by  36.  The  fence  to  the  North  and  West 
is  the  hedge,  and  that  to  the  South  and  East  ought 
to  be  made  of  Broom  Corn  Stalks,  in  this  manner : 
Put  some  Locust-Posts  along  at  eight  or  ten  feet 
apart.  Let  these  posts  be  ten  feet  high  and 
squared  to  three  inches  by  three  inches.  Lay  a 
bed  of  bricks,  or  smooth  stones,  along  the  ground 
from  post  to  post,  and  let  this  bed  be  about 
seven  or  eight  inches  wide.  This  bed  is  for  the 
bottoms  of  the  Broom-Corn  Stalks  to  stand  on. 
Go  on  one  side  of  the  row  of  posts,  and  nail  three 
rows  of  strips,  or  laths  (best  of  Locust,)  to  the 
posts.  The  first  row  at  a  foot  and  a  half  from  the 
ground ;  the  second  row  at  six  feet  from  the 
ground  ;  and  third  row  within  six  inches  of  the  top 
of  the  posts.  Then  do  the  same  on  the  other  side 
of  the  posts.  Thus  you  will  have  a  space  of  three 
inches  wide,  all  the  way  along,  between  these  op- 
posite rows  of  strips.  Then  take  fine,  long,  straight 
Broom-Corn  Stalks,  and  fill  up  this  space  with  them, 
full  and  tight,  putting  them,  of  course,  bottoms 
downwards,  and  placing  these  bottoms  upon  the 
bricks.  When  the  whole  is  nicely  filled,  strain  a 
line  from  top  of  post  to  top  of  post,  and  according 
to  that  line,  cut  off  the  tops  of  the  Broom-Corn 
Stalks  ;  and,  while  the  fence  will  look  very  hand- 
some, it  will  be  a  shelter  much  more  effectual  than 
pales  or  a  wall ;  and,  in  my  opinion,  will  last  as 
long  as  the  former,  unless  the  former  be  made 
wholly  of  Locust.  Stalks,  rushes,  reeds,  strvw, 
twigs,  bows,  any  thing  of  this  kind,  formed  into  a 
fence,  or  put  up  as  shelter,  is  preferable  to  any 


II  J  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  47 

thing  smooth  and  solid.  Grass  will  shoot  earlier 
under  a  bush,  than  under  a  wall,  or  even  a  house. 
A  wall  will  not  save  your  ears  from  the  sharp  winds 
so  effectually  as  even  a  thin  hedge.  The  American 
farmer  knows  well  the  warmth  that  walls  of  Corn- 
Stalks  afford. 

85.  However,  it  is  not  to  be  presumed,  that  a 
Hot- Bed  Ground  will  be  made  by  every  farmer ; 
and,  therefore,  before  I  proceed  further  with  my 
instructions  about  it,  let  me  proceed  upon  the  sup- 
position, that  the  aforementioned  bed  is  made  in 
some  open  place.    In  this  case  it  will  be  necessary 
to  use  some  precautions  as  to  shelter. 

86.  While  the  dung  is  working,  before  it  be  made 
into  the  bed,  it  must,  in  case  of  very  sharp  frost, 
be  covered,   especially  on  the   North  and   North 
West  sides.     If  it  be  not,  it  will  freeze  on  these 
sides,  and,  of  course,  will  not  ferment.     However, 
this  is  no  troublesome  job  :  you  have  only  to  throw 
on  a  parcel  of  straw,  or  stalks  ;  and  take  them  off 
again,  when  the  frost  relaxes.     When  the  bed  is 
made,   this  is  what  I  did.     I  drove  some  stakes 
down,  four  feet  distant  from  the  bed,  opposite  the 
North  Side  and  the  West  End.     I  tacked  a  pole 
from  stake  to  stake  ;  and  then  I  placed  up  along 
against  this  pole,  three  or  four  rows  of  sheaves  of 
tall  Corn-Stalks.     This  sheltered  the  bed  from  the 
North  West  winds,  and  prevented  it  from  freezing 
on  that  quarter.     Some  sheaves  might,  besides,  if 
necessary,  be  laid  against  the  bed  itself.     But,  ob- 
serve, you  must  be  able  to  get  at  the  Lights  con- 
stantly to  give  air,  and  to  see  how  things  go  on  ; 
and,  therefore,  it  is  better  to  have  your  shelter  at 
some  feet  distance  from  the  bed. 

87.  We  now  return  to  the  bed  and  the  plants.     I 
suppose  the  seed  to  have  been  sown  on  the  10th  of 


48  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

March  (Long  Island,  mind,)  and  that  you  have 
been  very  attentive  to  give  air  and  water.  By  the 
10th  of  April,  the  plants  will  have  eight  leaves, 
and  they  will  form  one  solid  patch  of  green.  They 
will  be  a  little  drawn  up,  though  you  have  given 
them  plenty  of  air.  And  now  they  must  be  re- 
moved into  a  new  bed.  Dig  out  the  ground  a  foot 
deep,  four  feet  wide,  and  to  as  great  a  length  as  is 
required  by  your  number  of  plants.  Fill  this  hol- 
low up  with  the  best  dung  you  have,  cover  it  over 
with  four  inches  of  good  earth  ;  and  plant  your 
plants  upon  it  in  rows  four  inches  apart,  and  two 
inches  apart  in  the  row.  When  you  have  put  out 
the  plants,  water  them  lightly  ;  and  shade  them  for 
two  or  three  days  from  the  sun.  They  must  also 
be  sheltered  every  night,  in  this  manner.  Take 
some  rods,  put  one  end  of  each  rod  into  the  ground 
on  one  side  of  the  bed,  and  the  other  end  on  the 
other  side  ;  put  these  rods  at  about  two  feet  asunder 
all  along  the  bed  ;  then  tie  some  rods  long  ways  to 
these  arched  rods  ;  so  that,  when  you  have  done, 
your  bed  has  an  arch  over  it  formed  by  these  rods. 
Every  evening  about  sun-set,  cover  this  arch  with 
mats,  with  old  carpets,  or  with  a  slight  covering  ot 
any  sort,  which  take  off  again  at  sun-rise  in  the 
morning. 

88.  To  put  out  all  your  plants  in  this  way  will 
require  a  very  long  bed,  or  many  short  ones.     If, 
therefore,  your  number  of  plants  be  very  large,  the 
best  way  will  be  to  put  out  a  part  of  them  in  this 
way,  leave   the  remainder  in  the  hot  bed  a  week 
longer,  (taking  off  the  lights  in  the  day  time,)  and 
then  to  plant  all  the  remainder  out  in  beds  of  fine 
rich  earth,  in  the  natural  ground,  and  without  any 
covering. 

89,  Now    here  we  drop,  for  the  present,  the 


II.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  49 

subject  of  Cabbage-Plants  ;  because  I  am  to  speak 
of  their  culture,  under  the  word,  Cabbage,  in  that 
part  of  the  work,  which  will  treat  of  the  cultiva- 
tion of  Vegetables.  I  am,  in  this  part  of  my  work, 
to  confine  myself  to  the  making  and  managing  of 
Hot-Beds  ;  and,  I  have  selected  the  Cabbage-Plant, 
as  a  subject  for  explaining  my  meaning,  because  1 
think  that  the  raising  of  that  plant  is  one  of  the 
most  useful  purposes,  to  which  a  hot-bed  can  be 
applied  in  America. 

90.  But,  a  Hot-Bed  may  be  applied  to  many  other 
purposes.     Lettuces  may  be  raised  in  it.     Pepper- 
grass,    Radishes,    young  Onions,   may  be   raised. 
Parsley-roots  may  be  put  in,  and  fine  parsley  ob- 
tained in  March.    Asparagus  may  be  raised  in  this 
way.     It  is  not  worth  while  to  attempt  to  bring 
Cucumbers  and  Melons  to  fruit  in  a  hot-bed  :  but 
the  plants  may  be  raised  there,  and  afterwards  put 
out  in  the  ground  with  great  advantage  in  point  of 
time.    Several  sorts  of  annual  flowers  and  of  Green- 
house plants  may  be  got  forward  by  a  hot-bed, 
which,  without  it,  can  hardly  be  got  at  all  to  any 
great  degree  of  perfection.     Of  the  management 
of  these  sorts  of  plants  in  a  hot-bed  I  shall  speak 
under  their  several  names ;  but,  on  the  manage- 
ment of   hot-beds,   there  yet  remain  to  be  made 
some  observations,  which  have  a  general  applica- 
tion. 

91.  As  to  heat  and  air  it  will  demand  but  little 
attention  to   manage  well.     But,   a  little    Termo- 
metre,  hung  up,  or  laid  down,  in  the  bed,  will  be 
of  use.     The  heat  should  not  exceed  seventy-Jive 
degrees  in  the  day  time,  and  sixty  at  night.     If  it 
oome  down  to  fifty  at  night  it  is  better.     If  you 
cannot  keep  it  down  to  sixty  without  giving  a  little 
air  at  night,  give  it,  by  putting  something  under  a 

5 


50  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

light,  or  two  lights,  to  let  in  a  little  of  the  cold. 
For,  always  bear  in  mind,  that,  when  plants,  of 
whatever  kind,  be  drawn  up,  they  are  nearly  spoiled. 

92.  When  the  Sun  comes  upon  the  glass,  it  soon 
augments  the  heat ;  and  the  air  must  be  given  im- 
mediately if  possible,  so  as  to  keep  down  the  heat. 
Changes   are  very  sudden   in  March,   April,   and 
May ;  and,  therefore,  somebody  should  always  be 
at  hand  to  attend  to  the  hot-bed.     But,  if  the  mas- 
ter be  from  home,  there  is,  surely,  some  man  ;  or, 
at  any  rate,  a  wife,  a  son,  or  a  daughter.     The  la- 
bour is  nothing,  the  trouble  very  little  indeed,  and 
all  that  is  wanted  is  a  small  portion  of  care. 

93.  It  may  happen  that  the  bed  will  get  too  cool 
It  may  lose  its  heat  sooner  than  you  could  wish, 
especially  if  you  use  it  for  Cucumber  and  Melon- 
plants  after  you  have  used  it  for  things  that  you 
want  earlier ;  and,  I  shall  show,  that  this  may  be 
very  useful  in  certain  cases.     Now,  if  the  huat  be 
too   much  diminished,  you  may  easily  restore  it, 
thus  :  make  a  little  narrow  hot-bed,  a  foot  and  a 
half  wide,  all  round  the  bed.    Put  the  dung  together 
as  before  ;  place  it  close  to  the  bed  ;  beat  it  well  ; 
and  build  it  up,  all  round,  as  high  as  the  top  of  the 
Frame.    This  is  called  lining ;  and  it  will  give  the 
bed  nearly  as  much  heat  as  it  had  at  first.     If  you 
do  not  want  so  much  heat,  line  only  the  back  of  the 
bed  ;  or  the  back  and  the  two  ends.    In  short,  take 
as  much  heat  as  you  may  want. 

94.  Before  I  dismiss  the  subject  of  hot-beds.  I 
must  notice,  that  there  are  other  contrivances  than 
frames  resorted  to  in  this  kind  of  garden  work.    A 
frame  is,  as  we  here  see,  a  wooden  construction, 
for  lights  of  glass  to  be  placed  on.     For  smaller 
concerns  there  are  very  convenient  things,  callp^ 
hand-lights,  or  hand-glasses.     A  hand-glass  is  "> 


II.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  51 

square  glass-house  in  miniature.  Its  sides  are 
about  eight  inches  high  from  the  ground  to  the 
eves.  The  roof  rises  from  each  side  in  a  triangular 
form,  so  that  it  comes  to  a  point  at  the  top,  as  a 
pyramid  does,  the  base  of  which  is  a  square.  At 
this  point  is  a  stout  ring,  to  lift  the  hand-glass  about 
by.  The  panes  of  glass  are  fixed  in  lead ;  and  the 
rim  round  the  bottom  is  made  of  iron  or  of  wood. 
Any  glazier  can  make  these  hand-lights,  and  they 
are  by  no  means  expensive.  Here,  where  the  tax 
upon  glass  is  so  slight,  they  cannot  be  more  ex- 
pensive than  in  England  ;  and  there  they  do  not 
cost  much  more  than  a  dollar  each.  They  may  be 
made  of  almost  any  size.  About  18  inches  square 
at  the  base  is  a  very  good  size.  In  the  gardens 
near  London  there  are  acres  of  ground  covered 
with  such  glasses.  It  is  the  custom  there  to  plant 
out  cauliflowers  in  the  fall,  and  to  cover  them,  in 
severe  weather,  during  winter,  with  hand-glasses. 
A  hand-glass  may,  in  April,  be  put  over  a  hot-bed 
made  with  a  wheel-barrow  full  of  dung.  It  would 
bring  on  cabbage  plants  enough  for  two  or  three 
gardens.  It  is  handy  to  sow  things  under  in  the 
natural  ground,  in  the  spring,  especially  flowers 
that  are  to  be  transplanted  ;  for,  on  the  natural 
ground,  it  adds  to  the  heat  in  the  day,  and  keeps 
off  cold  and  slight  frost  in  the  night.  Air  is  given, 
by  putting  a  brick,  or  bit  of  wood,  under  one  of 
the  sides  of  the  hand-glass. 

95.  Now,  look  back  at  the  Plan  of  the  garden. 
No.  I,  is  the  Hot-bed  Ground.  It  is  seventy  feet 
long  and  thirty-six  wide.  It  is  wide  enough  to  con- 
tain four  rows  of  hot-beds,  with  room  for  linings. 
But,  though  a  tenth  part  of  this  should  not  be 
wanted,  the  place  is  a  warm  place,  and  :s  better  for 
tender  things  than  a  colder  place.  The  entrance  to 


52  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

it  from  the  Western  door  of  the  garden  is  conve- 
nient for  the  carrying  in  of  dung,  and  for  carrying 
it  out  again  for  the  use  of  the  garden. 

96.  Here  would  be  room  for  a  greal  deal  mo^e 
beds,  certainly,  than  can  ever  be  wanted  even  in  a 
gentleman's  garden.     But,  observe,  the  room  is  no 
evil.     Whatever  is  not  used  for  hot-beds  may  be 
applied  to  other   purposes.      This   is   a  sheltered 
spot ;  and,  it  will,  by  and  by,  be  seen,  that,  even  if 
not  used  for  hot-beds  at  all ;  such  a  spot  must  be 
of  great  utility. 

GREEN-HOUSES. 

97.  My  object  is  not  to  treat  of  any  thing  very 
expensive,  or  very  curious.     There  are  persons, 
whose  taste  greatly  differs  from  mine  in  regard  to 
shrubs  and  flowers  ;  and  I  by  no  means  pretend  to 
say  that  mine  is  the  best.     But,  I  can  treat  of  no- 
thing that  I  do  not  understand,  that  is  to  say,  of 
nothing  with  regard  to  which  I  have  not  had  expe- 
rience.   My  study,  as  to  gardening,  has  always  been 
directed  towards  things  that  please  the  senses :  in 
vegetables,  things  that  please  the  palate,  and  that, 
to  use  the  common  saying,  are  good  to  eat :  in  shrubs 
and  flowers,  things   that  delight  the  sight,  or  the 
smell.    Mere  botanical  curiosities,  as  they  are  call- 
ed, I  never  took  delight  in.     If  the  merit  of  a  plant 
or  a  flower  is  not  to  be  discovered  without  close 
and   somewhat  painful  examination,  it  has  always 
appeared  to  me  not  worth  the  looking  for.     There 
is,  in  fact,  nothing  more  curious  in   one  plant,  cr 
flower,  than  in  another.     They  are  all  equally  cu- 
rious ;  they  are  equally  objects  of  wonder.     There 
is  more  of  rareness,  in  England,  in  the  Indian  Corn 
than  in  the  Cowslip  ;  but  here,  the  Cowslip  would 
have  the  merit  of  rareness.    The  ice-plant,  the  egg- 
olant,  and  many  others,  have  oddity  to  recommend 


II.  1  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  53 

them  ;  but,  after  all,  oddity  is  but  a  poor  recom- 
mendation. What  are  thousands  of  these  when 
compared  to  a  single  rose  bush  in  bloom  ! 

98.  I  am  rather  anticipating  here  ;  but,  I  wished 
to  explain  why  I  do  not  recommend  any  very  great 
pains  in  the  affair  of  a  green-house.  The  plants 
to  keep  in  such  a  place  I  will  talk  of  hereafter.  At 
present  I  am  to  speak  of  the  making  and  the  ma- 
naging of  such  a  place. 

1  99.  A  green-house  is  for  the  purpose  of  having 
plants  and  flowers  flourishing,  or,  at  least,  in  ver- 
dure and  in  bloom,  in  winter.  The  best  place  for 
a  green-house,  is,  near  the  dwelling  house,  and,  it 
should  be  actually  joined  to  the  dwelling  house, 
one  of  the  rooms  of  which  should  have  windows 
looking  into  the  green-house,  which  latter,  how- 
ever, must  face  the  South.  When  the  thing  can  be 
thus  contrived,  it  is  very  pretty.  It  renders  a  long 
winter  shorter  in  appearance  ;  and,  in  such  cases, 
appearances  are  realities.  A  door,  opening  from  a 
parlour  into  a  green-house,  makes  the  thing  very 
pleasant  and  especially  in  a  country  like  America, 
where,  for  six  months,  every  thing  like  verdure  is 
completely  absent  from  the  fields  and  gardens.  And, 
if  the  expense  be  but  small,  such  a  pleasure  may, 
surely,  be  afforded  to  the  females  of  a  family, 
though,  to  afford  it,  may  demand  some  deduction  in 
the  expenditure  for  the  bottle,  in  the  pleasures  of 
which  (if,  alas!  pleasures  they  be  !)  the  amiable  la- 
dies of  this  county  do  not  partake. 

100.  I  hope,  thiit  no  man,  who  has  the  means  to 
provide  such  pleasures  for  his  wife,  or  daughters, 
will  talk  to  me  about  the  uselessness  of  a  green- 
house. Of  what  use,  then,  is  fine  linen,  when  coarse 
is  cheaper  and  will  last  longer?  Of  what  use  is 
beauty  in  a  horse,  a  house,  or  in  any  thing  else'? 
5* 


54  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 

Ot'what  use  are  sporting  dogs  and  guns?  The  use 
of  these  things  is,  that  they  give  pleasure ;  that 
they  render  life  pleasanter  than  it  would  be  without 
them.  And,  why  not,  on  the  same  principle,  call  a 
green-house  useful?  Of  what  use  is  money,  that 
thing  which  every  one  seeks  to  possess  ?  Of  what 
use  indeed,  but  to  be  expended  on  things,  which 
tend  to  make  life  easy  and  pleasant  ?  Therefore,  a 
green-house  comes  fairly  within  the  scope  of  use- 
fulness ;  for,  from  it  the  females  of  a  family  would 
receive  constant  amusement  and  delight,  during  a 
season  when  they  are  cut  off  from  almost  all  other 
recreation. 

101.  Let  me  not,  however,  in  using  these  argu- 
ments, be  supposed  to  doubt  of  the  disposition  of 
American  husbands  to  gratify  their  wives  in  this 
respect ;  for,  many  and  striking  as  are  the  traits, 
that  distinguish  the  American  character,  none  is  so 
striking,  and  none  exalts  it  so  much,  as  the  respect 
and  deference  of  the  male  towards  the  female  sex. 
They  talk  to  us  about  French  politeness;  and  we 
near  enough  of  the  sentimental  trash  of  romances, 
where  Princes  and  Nobles  are  the  heroes.  But,  in 
no  part  of  this  whole  world  are  the  women  so  kind- 
ly and  so  respectfully  treated  by  the  men  as  in 
America.  Here  women,  in  no  state  of  life,  are 
treated  badly  or  churlishly.  To  insure  indulgence, 
assistance,  forbearance,  from  every  man,  and  under 
any  circumstances,  it  is  sufficient  that  the  party  is 
a  woman.  In  this  respect  no  country  on  earth  will 
bear  a  comparison  with  America.  This  is,  too,  the 
natural  bent  of  the  human  heart  when  uncorrupted 
by  vicious  courses  and  unhardened  by  penury.  For, 
count  our  real  pleasures  ;  count  the  things  that  de- 
light us  through  life  :  and  you  will  find,  that  ninety- 
nine  out  of  everv  hundred  are  derived  from  women. 


IJ  j  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  55 

TV/  be  the  object  of  no  woman's  care  or  good  wishes 
is  ft  sentence  the  most  severe  that  can  be  pro- 
nounced upon  man. 

102.  As  to  the  erection  of  a  green-house,  carpen- 
ters and  glaziers  are  never  wanted,  and,  where  Lo- 
cust wood,  for  the  sills,  is  every  where  to  be  had, 
and  glass  with  scarcely  any  tax,  how  elegant,  how 
cheap,  and  how  durable,  may  such  a  thing  as  a 
green-house  be ! 

103.  In  America  there  must  be  heat ;  but,  how 
easily  will  any  of  the  ingenious  men  in  this  country 
find  the  means   of  furnishing   the  necessary  heat 
with  hardly  any  expense  or  trouble  !  In  most  cases 
the  warmth  might  go  from  the  parlour  5re  place  ; 
for,  all  that  is  wanted,  is  completely  to  keep  out 
frost.     There  is,  here,  no  want  of  Sun  even  in  the 
coldest  weather ;  and,  if  the  green-house  were  on 
the  Eastern  side  of  the  dwelling-house,  the  cold 
would  not  be  any  great  annoyance.     But,  at  any 
rate,  the  heat   necessary  to  keep  out  frost  might 
easily  be  obtained.    A  Termometre  should  be  kept 
in  the  green-house.    The  heat  should  be  about  sixty 
degrees  in  the  day  time,  and  forty-Jive  in  the  night. 

104.  In  England  they  need  very  little  fire  in  their 
green-houses,  except  in  very  cold  weather,  which, 
indeed,  they  seldom  have.    Their  great  want  is  that 
of -57/Ti ;  for,  nothing  will  do  well  without  sun ;  and 
America  has  plenty  of  this  even  in  the  coldest  wea- 
th*r.    So  that,  if  the  frost  were  effectually  kept  out. 
that  alone  would   give  beautiful  plants  in  winter. 
By  an  additional  heat,  a  growth  and  a  bloom  would 
be  constantly  kept  up  ;  and  a  green-house  might  be 
made  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  most  pleasant 
things  in  tv«  world. 

105.  Ot  the  different  plants  suitable  for  a  green- 
house, and  of  the  particular  treatment  .-f  each,  I 


50  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

shall  speak  under  the  head  of  FLOWERS  ;  and  shall, 
in  this  place,  only  add  some  directions  as  to  ma- 
nagement, which  are  applicable  to  the  whole  as- 
semblage. 

106.  Air  is  the  main  thing,  after  the  keeping  out 
of  the  frost.     Air  is  given  by  pushing  up,  or  draw- 
ing down,  the  Lights,  which  form   the  top  or  roof 
of  the   green-house.     Always  give  air,  when  there 
is  no  fear  of  frost.     Give  heat  and  air  at  the  same 
time,  if  the  weather  be  not  mild  enough  to  dispense 
with  the  heat.    For,  without  air,  the  plants  will  be- 
come sickly.    They  have  lungs  as  well  as  we  ;  and, 
though  they  may  live,  for  a  while,  without  air,  they 
will  be  an  eye-sore  instead  of  a  delight  to  the  be- 
holder.    If  the  sides  and  front,  as  well  as  the  top, 
of  the  green-house,  be  of  glass,  (which  is  best,)  then 
air  maybe  given  there,  instead  of  giving  it  by  push- 
ing up,  or  pulling  down,  the  lights  at  top. 

107.  The  plants,   of  whatever  sort  or  size,  must 
be  in  what   the   English  call   pots,   and  what  the 
Americans  call  jars.    Perhaps  I  may  as  well  speak, 
once  for  all,  about  the  shape  and  size,  and  manner 
of  planting  in,  these  pots.     The  shape  is  generally 
well  known  ;  but,  the  pots  ought  never  to  be  glazed. 
Plain  earthen  pots  are  best  as  well  as  cheapest. 
There  must  be  a  hole  in  the  middle  of  the  bottom 
of  every  pot,  or  no  plant  will  live  in  it  for  any  con- 
siderable length  of  time,  and  will  never  grow  in  it 
at  all.     This  hole  should  be  in   proportion  to  the 
size  of  the  pot ;  and  the  pots  may  be  from  4  inches 
to  IS  inches  over  at  top,  and  from  4  inches  tr  18 
inches  deep  ;  being  one  third  less  across  at  bottom 
than  at  the  top.     The  smallest  hole  ought  to  be  of 
the  size  of  half  a  dollar. 

108.  Besides  the  pot,  there  is  what  the  English 
call  a  pan,  for  the  pot  to  stand  in,  which  should  be 


II.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  57 

about  2  inches  deep,  and  as  wide  over  as  the  top  of 
the  pot,  and,  of  course,  a  third  part  wider  than  the 
bottom  of  the  pot.  This  pan  shouh1  be  mado  of  the 
same  materials  with  the  pot  itself. 

109.  I  have,  in  paragraph  21,  mentioned,  inci- 
dentally, wooden  boxes,  as  things  wherein  to  place 
plants  ;  but,  I  must  here  caution  the  reader  against 
the  practice,  wherever  it  can  be  avoided,  especially 
for  small  plants.  We  see  plants,  thus  cultivated, 
placed  on  window  sills ;  and  they  sometimes  grow 
there  pretty  well.  Orange  Trees,  Large  Myrtles, 
and  other  large  exotics,  are  planted  in  tubs.  There 
would  be  great  difficulty  in  getting  earthen  things 
of  sufficient  dimensions  for  these  purposes  ;  be- 
sides the  constant  danger  of  breaking.  But,  I  am 
quite  satisfied,  that  where  earthenware  can  be  got 
and  used,  it  is  greatly  preferable  to  wood  ;  and  this 
opinion  is  foi<nded  on  actual  experience.  In  my 
hot-bed  of  1819,  I  sowed  several  sorts  of  seeds  in 
little  wooden  boxes.  I  had  no  pots  at  hand,  and  to 
get  them  from  New  York  required  more  time  than 
I  was  willing  to  spare.  The  seeds  all  came  up ; 
but,  by  the  time  that  they  were  an  inch  or  two  high, 
they  rotted  at  the  stem,  and  fell  down.  They  were 
not  less  than  twenty  sorts  of  seeds;  some  of  culi- 
nary vegetables,  some  of  field-plants,  and  some  oi 
forest-trees.  They  all  died.  In  one  box  there  were 
planted  some  geranium-cuttings.  They  cf-.me  out 
into  bud  and  leaf;  but  died  soon  afterwards.  I  had 
soon  afterwards  got  some  pots.  I  repeated  my  sow- 
ing and  planting ;  all  the  seeds  and  plants  grew  and 
flourished.  And,  let  it  be  observed,  that  the  boxes 
stood  in  the  same  bed,  where  cabbages  and  cauli- 
flowers were  sown  without  either  pots  or  boxes ; 
and  that  the  plants  of  these  grew,  and  flourished 
exceedingly.  The  cause  of  the  plants  ro  ting  .11 


6&  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

the  boxes  was  this  :  though  there  were  several 
hoJes  at  the  bottom  of  each  box,  and  though  these 
were  properly  covered  with  oyster-shells,  the  wood 
itself*  sides  as  well  as  bottom,  imbibed,  and  retain- 
ed too  long,  part  of  the  water  poured  on  the  top, 
and,  as  the  boxes  were  plunged  into  the  earth  ot 
the  bed,  they  imbibed  moisture  from  the  watering 
of  the  bed  also.  There  was  constantly  stag-riant 
and  sour  water  near  the  roots  of  the  plants,  and 
this  killed  them.  These  boxes  were  of  deal.  If 
tubs,  or  boxes,  must  be  resorted  to,  they  ought  to 
be  of  Locust,  or  some  other  hard  and  close  wood. 
Locust  is  best,  because  imperishable.  See  para- 
graph 16. 

110.  Some  care  is  necessary  in  sowing  and  plant- 
ing in  pots.  The  mould  should  be  good,  and  made 
very  fine.  The  first  thing  is  to  put  an  oyster  shell, 
or  piece  of  broken  earthen  ware,  into  the  pot,  to 
cover  the  hole  at  the  bottom ;  and  the  hollow  part  of 
the  shell,  or  other  thing,  should  be  downwards. 
The  use  of  this  is,  to  keep  the  hole  open,  that  the 
water  may  find  its  way  out  of  the  pot,  and  not  lie 
stagnant  at  the  bottom,  where  it  would  become  sour 
and  injure,  if  not  kill,  the  plant.  The  earth,  if 
there  were  no  shell,  would  fill  up  the  hole,  and, 
would,  in  time,  become  solid,  and  thus  prevent  the 
water  from  getting  out.  The  shell,  or  broken 
earthen  ware,  keeps  the  earth  hollow,  and  the  water 
creeps  under  the  edges  of  it,  and  thus  escapes  into 
the  pan,  whence  it  evaporates.  In  fields,  we  al- 
ways desire  an  open  under -soil;  and,  in  a  rainy 
reason,  you  will  see  the  crops  stunted  and  looking 
yellow,  where  there  is  a  bottom  of  clay,  while,  at 
the  very  same  time,  a  bottom  of  sand,  gravel,  lime 
stone,  or  other  open  matter,  exhibits  them  green 
and  flourishing.  It  is  upon  this  principle,  founded 


II.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  59 

on  experience,  that  holes  have  been  made  in  the 
bottom  of  flower-pots.  The  uses  of  pans,  are, 
first,  to  prevent  the  water  from  running  about  the 
places  where  pots  are  placed  ;  and  next  to  hold  the 
water  up  to  a  level  with  the  roots,  in  hot  situations, 
a  little  longer  than  it  would  otherwise  remain  up  to 
that  level.  See  paragraph  21. 

111.  As  to   the  mere  operation  of  sowing,  or 
planting,  things  in  pots,  though  a  simple  operation 
enough,  some  little  attention  to  method  is  necessa- 
ry.   Your  mould  always  ought  to  be^me,  and  even 
tiffed,  if  convenient;  for,  when  the   quantity  is  to 
be  reckoned  by  gallons,  the  labour  cannot  be  great ; 
and  the  desire  to  possess  green-house  plants  neces- 
sarily implies  pleasure,  rather  than  pain,  in  employ- 
ing the  means  to  obtain  them.     In  order  to  make 
myself  clearly  understood,  I  shall  suppose  an  in- 
stance of  sowing  and  one  of  planting. 

112.  Suppose  you  have  the  seeds  of  Stocks  to 
sow.     Put  earth  into  the  pot  enough  to  fill  it  to 
within  an  inch  of  the  top,  and  make  the  top  of  the 
earth  very  smooth.     Then  scatter  your  seeds  upon 
it,  and  not  too  thickly.     Then  crumble  some  earth 
over  the  seeds  to  the  depth  of  about  half  an  inch. 
Make  the  top  very  smooth  again.     Then  take  the 
pot  in  your  two  hands,  and  give  five  or  six  gentle 
taps  with  the  bottom  of  the  pot  upon  the  ground, 
or  upon  a  block,  or  some  solid  thing.     This  settles 
the  earth  down ;  and  it  needs  no  pressing  at  the 
top,  nor  any  other  thing  done  to  it.      After  this 
settling,   the   top  of  the  earth  should  be  about  an 
inch  lower  than  the  top  of  the  pot ;  else  you  could 
not,   when  necessary,    give  water  ;  for   the  water 
Mould  run  off,  there  being  no  place  to  hold  it. 

113.  Suppose  you  have  a   Geranium  to  plant, 
which  has  been  raised  from  a  cutting,  and  the  root 


(50  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

of  which  cannot  be  very  large.  Put  some  earth  in 
the  pot.  Hold  the  root  of  the  plant  upon  it  to  see 
that  it  will  be  of  the  right  depth,  if  its  root  stand  on 
that  earth.  Then,  when  you  have  got  the  earth  to 
the  right  height,  hold  the  plant  with  one  hand,  and 
fill  up  the  pot,  round  the  plant,  with  the  other. 
Then,  tap  the  bottom  of  the  pot  on  some  solid 
thing,  as  before  mentioned,  leaving  the  earth,  as  be- 
fore, an  inch  lower  than  the  top  of  the  pot.  Put  the 
pot  in  the  pan  ;  and,  in  this  case,  water  the  plant 
moderately ;  for,  observe,  that  a  plant  in  a  pot  has 
not  an  under-soil  and  dews  and  a  mass  of  ferment- 
ing earth  to  supply  it  with  moisture,  as  a  plant  in 
the  open  air  has.  Yet,  even  in  the  case  of  pots,  it 
is  best,  unless  the  plant  be  of  a  very  juicy  nature, 
to  suffer  the  ground  to  get  dry  at  top  before  you 
water ;  because,  water  falling  upon  freshly-moved 
earth,  always  makes  it  bake  hard  at  top,  which  is 
very  injurious  to  every  kind  of  plant. 

114.  These  two  instances  will  suffice  for  the  ope- 
ration of  sowing  and  planting  in  pots  ;  for,  though 
some   seeds   and   some   plants  will   be   larger,   or 
smaller,  than  those  here  mentioned,  the  principle  is 
the  same,  and  the  difference  in  minute  particulars 
will  point  itself  out.     If,   for  instance,  you  have 
stocks,  or  other  little  things,  to  transplant  into  pots. 
you  will  nearly  fill  the  pot  with  earth,   and  then 
make  holes  with  a  little  stick,  or  with  a  finger,  to 
put  in  the  roots  ;  and  then  proceed  as  before,  and 
settle  down  the  earth.     Such  little  things,  being 
nearly  all  juice,  will  require  water  directly,  and 
shading  for  a  day  or  two.    But,  about  these  matters 
I  shall  say  more  by-and-by,  when  I  come  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  several  sorts  of  plants  and  flowers. 

115.  The  benches  of  the  green  house  remain  to 
be  spoken  of.    They  should  rise  one  above  another 


II.]  1HE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  61 

like  the  steps  of  a  stairs,  that  the  whole  of  the 
plants  may  share  in  the  benefit  bestowed  by  the 
sun  ;  but,  there  may  be  some  on  the  ground,  or 
floor ;  and,  indeed,  the  precise  arrangement  must 
be  left  to  the  taste  of  the  owner,  The  arrangement 
ought,  however,  to  be  such  as  to  make  it  convenient 
to  get  at  every  pot ;  not  only  for  the  purpose  of 
watering,  but  for  that  of  picking  off  the  dead,  or 
dying  leaves  ;  for  that  of  stirring  the  earth  frequent- 
ly round  the  stems  of  the  plants ;  and  for  that  of 
sweeping,  and  even  washing,  the  benches  and  the 
floor.  For,  let  it  be  observed,  that,  besides  the 
neatness  of  keeping,  due  to  so  choice  and  elegant  a 
matter  as  a  green-house,  cleanliness  is  greatly  con- 
ducive to  the  health  of  plants  in  a  confined  situa- 
tion. In  short,  it  is  beauty  that  is  here  sought ; 
and,  can  there  be  beauty  without  cleanliness  ! 

116.  In  the  month  of  June  (Long  Island,  observe) 
the  plants  come   out  of   this   their   winter  abode. 
How  they  are  then  to  be  disposed  of  will  be  treated 
of  hereafter,  under  the  head  of  flowers ;  where  it 
will  be  seen,  that  the  green-house,  besides  being  a 
most  charming  object  in  winter,  when  all  without 
is  dreariness,  is  the  best  security  for  giving  you  a 
beautiful   garden  in   summer;  and    that  without  a 
green-house,  or,  at  least,  a  hot-bed,  it  is  quite  im- 
possible to  have  in  perfection,  either  in  America  or 
in  England,   certain    plants  and  flowers,   some  of 
which  are  the  very  greatest  beauties  of  the  beauti- 
ful family  of  Flora. 

117.  Nor  must  we  forget  some  things,  with  regard 
to  which  a  green-house  would  be  of  great  use,  even 
according  to  the  most  vulgar  notions  of  utility.    All 
sorts  of  Herbs  might  be  potted,  and  kept  green  and 
growing  in  the  green-house  during  the  winter.  Some 
Herbs  dry  well ;  but,  none  of  them  are  quite  so  good 

6 


03  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER  [Chap. 

as  when  green  ;  and,  as  to  Parsley,  which  is  wanted 
almost  every  day  in  the  year,  it  loses  all  its  virtue 
in  the  drying,  smell  and  all.  Six  large  pots  of 
parsley,  the  plants  taken  out  of  the  ground  and  put 
in  pots  in  September,  and  put  into  the  green-house 
in  November,  will  supply  a  large  family  well ;  and 
this  is  no  trifling  thing,  when,  for  love  or  money,  a 
sprig  of  parsley  is  not  to  be  got  for  months.  A  Sage 
tree,  a  tree  of  Rue,  one  of  Rosemary,  one  of  La- 
vender, a  root  of  Hyssop,  Thyme,  Penny-royal, 
some  Mint,  and,  indeed,  of  every  pot  and  medicinal 
Herb,  that  is  usually  grown  in  the  garden,  would 
be  useful,  as  well  as  pleasant  to  the  eye,  during 
winter. 

118.  Even  when  the  plants  are  out  of  the  green- 
house, the  latter  is  of  use.     An  excellent  place  for 
the  drying  of  cherries,    apples,  pears,   quinces, 
peaches,  and  other  fruits  ;  and  also  for  the  drying 
of  yeast-cakes,  one  of  the  most  useful  articles  that 
sensible  and  provident  house-wives  ever  invented. 

119.  All  this  work  of  drying  can,  indeed,  be  per- 
formed by  the  help  of  the  fine  hot  sun,  in  the  open 
air ;  but,  then,  wet   days  come  ;  and,  sometimes, 
the  being  compelled  to   take   the  things  into   the 
house,  to  place  them  in  a  confined  space,  and  in  the 
shade,  at  best,  and  away  from  strong  light,  greatly 
injures,  and,  sometimes,  spoils  them  ;  and,  at  any 
rate,  they  must  always  be  taken  in  at  night  and  put 
out  again   in   the  day  time.     All  these  are  impedi- 
ments ;  and    all  these  impediments  would  be,    at 
once,  removed  by  having  a  green-house.    Once  the 
articles  were  placed  properly  in  that,  the  process  of 
drying  would  be  completed  without  more  trouble, 
and  in  about  half  the  time  required  to  obtain  even 
an  imperfect  operation  in  the  open  air. 

120    For  these  purposes,  too,  only  on  a  smallei 


II.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  63 

scale,  a  hot-bed  frame,  when  done  with,  for  raising 
plants  for  the  year,  would  be  useful.  The  franifc 
and  lights  might  be  placed  upon  boards,  and  the 
fruits,  or  cakes,  put  upon  these  boards.  Being 
shut  in,  neither  rains  nor  dews  could  affect  them. 
They  would  be  dried  quicker,  more  effectually,  and 
with  a  tenth  part  of  the  trouble  that  attends  the  dry- 
ing in  the  open  air. 

121.  Thus,  then,  I  think,  that  there  is  use,  even 
in  the  vulgar  sense  of  the  word,  as  well  as   on.a- 
ment,  in  a  green-house.     But,  I  must  confess,  that 
its  value,   in  my  eyes,  consists  in  its  moral  effects. 
It  is   a  source  of  pleasure   to  the  Mistress  of  the 
mansion  ;  to  her,  who  has  so  strong  a  claim  to  at- 
tention and  indulgence.     I  will  not  praise  pursuits 
like  these,   with  LORD  BACON,  because,  "  God  Al- 
mighty first  planted  a  garden;11  nor  with  COWLEY, 
because  "  a  garden  is  like  Heaven  ;"  nor  with  AD- 
DISON,  because  "  a  garden  was  the  habitation  of  our 
first  parents  before  the  fall ;"  all  which  is  rather 
far-fetched,  and  puts  one  in  mind  of  the  grave  dis- 
pute between  the  Gardeners  and  Tailors,  as  to  the 
antiquity  of  their  respective  callings  ;  the  former 
contending  that  the  planting  of  the  garden  took 
place  before  the  sewing  of  the  fig-leaves  together ; 
and  the  latter  contending,  that  there  was  no  garden- 
ing at  all,  till  Adam  was  expelled  and  compelled  to 
work  ;  but,  that  the  sewing  was  a  real  and  bona  fide 
act  of  tailoring.    This  is  vulgar  work  to  be  sure  ;  it 
is  grovelling ;  but,  who  can  blame  such  persons, 
when  they  have  LORD  BACON  to  furnish  them  with 
a  precedent? 

122.  I  like,  a  great  deal  better  than  these  writers. 
SIR  WILLIAM,  who  so  ardently  and  yet  so  ration- 
ally  and  unaffectedly  praises  the  pursuits  of  garden- 
*ng,  in  which  he  delighted  from  his  youth  to  his  old 


64  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER,  LC/iaj' 

age.  But,  I  look  still  further,  as  to  effects.  There 
must  be  amusements  in  every  family.  Children  ob- 
serve arid  follow  their  parents  in  almost  every  thing. 
How  much  better,  during  a  long  and  dreary  winter, 
for  daughters,  and  even  sons,  to  assist,  or  attend, 
their  mother  in  a  green-house,  than  to  be  seated 
with  her  at  cards,  or  at  any  other  amusement  that 
can  be  conceived  !  How  much  more  innocent,  more 
pleasant,  more  free  from  temptation  to  evil,  this 
amusement  than  any  other  !  How  much  more  in- 
structive too !  "  Bend  the  twig  when  young  :"  but, 
here,  there  needs  no  force ;  nay,  not  even  persua- 
sion. The  thing  is  so  pleasant  in  itself;  it  so  natu- 
rally meets  the  wishes ;  that  the  taste  is  fixed  at 
once,  and  it  remains,  to  the  exclusion  of  cards  and 
dice,  to  the  end  of  life. 

123.  This  is,  with  me,  far  more  than  sufficient  to 
outweigh  even  a  plausible  objection  on  the  score  ol 
expense.  Such  husbands  and  fathers  as  are  acces- 
sible by  arguments  like  these,  will  need  nothing 
more  to  induce  them  to  yield  to  my  recommenda- 
tion •  with  such  as  are  not,  no  arguments  within 
the  reach  of  my  capacity  would  be  of  any  avail. 


CHAPTER  III. 

On  Propagation  and  Cultivation  in  general. 

124.  IN  order  to  have  good  Vegetables,  Herbs, 
Fruits,  and  Flowers,  we  must  be  careful  arid  dili- 
gent in   the  Propagation   and   Cultivation  of   the 
several  plants  ;  for,  though  na  ure  does  much,  she 
will  not  do  all.     He,  who  trusts  to  chance  for  a  crop, 
deserves  none,  arid  he  generally  has  what  he  deserves. 

125.  The  PROPAGATION  of  plants  is  the  bringing 


III.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  65 

of  them  forth,  or  the  increasing-  and  multiplying 
of  them.  This  is  effected  in  several  different  ways  : 
by  seed,  by  suckers,  by  offsets,  by  layers,  by 
cuttings.  But,  bear  in  mind,  that  all  plants,  from 
the  Radish  to  the  Oak,  may  be  propagated  by  the 
means  of  seed ;  while  there  are  many  plants  which 
can  be  propagated  by  no  other  means ;  and,  of 
these,  the  Radish  and  the  Oak  are  two.  Let  me 
just  qualify,  here,  by  observing,  that  I  enter  not 
into  the  deep  question  (which  so  many  have  puz- 
zled their  heads  with)  of  equivocal  generation.  I 
confine  myself  to  things  of  which  we  have  a  cer- 
tain knowledge. 

With  regard  to  Propagation  by  means  other  than 
that  of  seed,  I  shall  speak  of  it  fully  enough  under 
the  names  of  the  several  plants,  which  are,  as  to 
the  way  of  propagating  them,  to  be  considered  as 
exceptions  to  the  general  rule.  Therefore,  I  shall, 
in  the  present  Chapter,  treat  of  propagation  by 
seed  only. 

126.  CULTIVATION  must,  of  course,  differ  in  some 
respects,  to  suit  itself  to  certain  differences  in  the 
plants  to  be  cultivated  ;  but,  there  are  some  prin- 
ciples and  rules,  which  apply  to  the  cultivation  of 
all  plants  ;  and  it  is  of  these  only  that  I  propose  to 
speak  in  the  present  Chapter. 

127.  It  is  quite  useless,  indeed  it  is  grossly  ab- 
surd, to  prepare  land,  and  to  incur  trouble  and  ex- 
pense, without  duly,  and  even  very  carefully,  at- 
tending to  the  seed  that  we  are  going  to  sow.     The 
svrt,  the  genuineness,  the  soundness,  are  all  mat- 
ters to  be  attended  to,  if  we  mean  to  avoid  morti- 
fication and  loss.     Therefore,  the  first  thing  is,  the 

SORT  OF  SEED. 

128.  We  should  make  sure  here  ;  for,  what  a  loss 
o  have  late  cabbages  instead  of  early  ones  !  As  to 

*> 


66  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

beans,  peas,  and  many  other  things,  there  cannot 
easily  be  mistake  or  deception.  But,  as  to  cab- 
bages, cauliflowers,  turnips,  radishes,  lettuces, 
onions,  leeks,  and  numerous  others,  the  eye  is  no 
guide  at  all.  If,  therefore,  you  do  not  save  yo^r 
own  seed,  (of  the  manner  of  doing  which  I  shall 
speak  by  and  by,)  you  ought  to  be  very  careful  as 
to  whom  you  purchase  of;  and,  though  the  seller 
be  a  person  of  perfect  probity,  he  may  be  deceived 
himself.  If  you  do  not  save  your  own  seed,  which, 
as  will  be  seen,  cannot  always  be  done  with  safety, 
all  you  can  do,  is,  to  take  every  precaution  in  your 
power  when  you  purchase.  Be  very  particular, 
very  full  and  clear,  in  the  order  you  give  for  seed. 
Know  the  seedsman  well,  if  possible.  Speak  to 
him  yourself,  on  the  subject,  if  you  can  ;  and,  in 
short,  take  every  precaution  in  your  power,  in  order 
to  avoid  the  mortifications  like  those  of  having  one 
sort  of  cabbage,  when  you  expected  another,  and  ol 
having  rape  when  you  expected  turnips  or  ruta-baga. 

TRUE    SEED. 

129.  But,  besides  the  kind,  there  is  the  genuine- 
ness to  be  considered.    For  instance,  you  want  su- 
gar-loaf cabbage.     The  seed  you  sow  may  be  cab- 
bage :  it  may,  too,  be  sugar-loaf,  or  more  that  than 
any  thing  else  :  but,  still,  it  may  not  be  true  to  its 
kind.    It  may  have  become  degenerate  ;  it  may  have 
become  mixed,  or  crossed,  in  generating.    And  thus, 
the  plants  may  very  much  disappoint  you.      True 
seed  is  a  great  thing  :  for,  not  only  the  time  of  the 
crop  coining  in,  but  the  quantity  and  quality  of  it, 
greatly  depend  upon  the  trucness  of  the  seed.    You 
have  plants,  to  be  sure  ;  that  is  to  say,  you  have 
something  grow  ;  but  you  will  not,  if  the  seed  be 
jjot  true,  have  the  thing  you  want. 

130.  To  insure  truth  in  seed,  you  must,  if  you 


fll.j  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  67 

purchase,  take  all  the  precautions  recommended  as 
to  sort  of  seed.  It  will  be  seen  presently,  that,  to 
save  true  seed  yourself,  is  by  no  means  an  easy  mat- 
ter. And,  therefore,  you  must  sometimes  purchase. 
Find  a  seedsman  that  does  not  deceive  you,  and 
stick  to  him.  But,  observe,  that  no  seedsman  can 
always  be  sure.  He  cannot  raise  all  his  seeds  him- 
self. He  must  trust  to  others.  Of  course,  he  may 
himself,  be  deceived.  Some  kinds  of  seed  will  keep 
a  good  many  years ;  and,  therefore,  when  you  find 
that  you  have  got  some  very  true  seed  of  any  sort, 
get  some  more  of  it :  get  as  much  as  will  last  you 
for  the  number  of  years  that  such  seed  will  keep ; 
and,  to  know  how  many  years  the  seeds  of  vegeta- 
bles and  herbs  will  keep,  see  paragraph  150. 

SOUNDNESS    OF    SEED. 

131.  Seed  may  be  of  the  right  sort ;  it  may  be 
true  to  its  sort ;  and,  yet,  if  it  be  unsound,  it  will 
not  grow,  and,  of  course,  is  a  great  deal  worse  than 
useless,  because  the  sowing  of  it  occasions  loss  of 
time,  loss  of  cost  of  seed,  loss  of  use  of  land,  and 
loss  of  labour,  to  say  nothing  about  the  disappoint- 
ment and  mortification.  Here,  again,  if  you  pur- 
chase, you  must  rely  on  the  seedsman  ;  and,  there- 
fore, all  the  aforementioned  precautions  are  neces- 
sary as  to  this  point  also.  In  this  case  (especially 
if  the  sowing  be  extensive)  the  injury  may  be  very 
great;  and,  there  is  no  redress.  If  a  man  sell  you 
one  sort  of  seed  for  another ;  or,  if  he  sell  you  un- 
true seed ;  the  law  will  give  you  redress  to  the  full 
extent  of  the  injury  proved  ;  and  the  proof  can  be 
produced.  But,  if  the  seed  does  not  come  up,  what 
proof  have  you  ?  You  may  prove  the  sowing ;  btu, 
who  is  to  prove  that  the  seed  was  not  chilled,  or 
scorched  in  the  ground?  That  it  was  not  eaten  by 


68  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

insects  there  ?  That  it  was  not  destroyed  in  coming 
up,  or  in  germinating  ? 

132.  There  are,  however,  means  of  ascertaining, 
whether  seed  be  sound,  or  not,  before  you  sow  it  in 
the  ground.     I  know  of  no  seed,   which,   if  sound 
and  really  good,  will  not  sink  in  water.     The  un- 
soundness  of  seed  arises  from  several  causes.     Un- 
ripeness, blight,  mouldine-ss,  and  age,  are  the  most 
frequent  of  these  causes.     The  two  first,  if  exces- 
sive, prevent  the  seed  from  ever  having  the  germi- 
nating quality  in  them.    Mouldiness  arises  from  the 
seed  being  kept  in  a  damp  place,  or  from  its  having 
heated.     When  dried  again  it  becomes  light.    Age 
will  cause  the   germinating  quality  to  evaporate  ; 
though,  where  there  is  a  great  proportion  of  oil  in 
the  seed,  this  quality  will  remain  in  it  many  years, 
as  will  be  seen  in  paragraph  150. 

133.  The  way  to  try  seed  is  this.     Put  a  small 
quantity  of  it  in  luke-warm  water,  and  let  the  wa- 
ter be  four  or  five  inches  deep.     A  mug,  or  basin, 
will  do,  but  a  large  tumbler  glass  is  best;  for  then 
you  can  see  the  bottom  as  well  as  top.    Some  seeds, 
such  as  those  of  cabbage,  radish,  and  turnip,  will, 
if  good,  go  to  the  bottom  at  once.     Cucumber,  Me- 
lon, Lettuce,  Endive,   and  many  others,  require  a 
few   minutes.      Parsnip   and  Carrot,    and  all    the 
winged  seeds,  require  to  be  worked  by  your  fingers 
in  a  little  water,   and  well  wetted,  before  you  put 
them  into  the  glass ;  and  the  carrot  should  be  rubbed, 
so  as  to  get  off  part  of  the  hairs,  which  would  other- 
wise act  as  the  feathers  do  as  to  a  duck.     The  seed 
of  Beet  and  Mangel  Wurzel  are  in  a  case,  or  shell. 
The  rough  things  that  we  sow  are  not  the  seeds,  but 
the  cases  in  which  the  seeds  are   contained,  each 
case  containing  from  one  to  Jive  seeds.    Therefore 
the  trial  by  water  is  not,  is  to  these  two  seeds,  coil' 


III.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  69 


though,  if  the  seed  be  very  good  ;  if  there 
be  four  or  five  in  a  case,  shell  and  all  will  sink  in 
water,  after  being  in  the  glass  an  hour.  And,  as  it 
is  a  matter  of  such  great  importance,  that  every 
seed  should  grow  in  a  case  where  the  plants  stand 
so  far  apart  ;  as  gaps  in  rows  of  Beet  and  Mangel 
Wurzel  are  so  very  injurious,  the  best  way  is  to  re- 
ject all  seed  that  will  not  sink  case  and  all,  after 
being  put  into  warm  water  and  remaining  there 
an  hour. 

134.  But,  seeds  of  all  sorts,  are,  sometimes,  if  not 
always,  part  sound  and  part  unsound;  and,  as  the 
former  is  not  to  be  rejected  on  account  of  the  latter, 
the  proportion  of  each  should  be  ascertained,  if  a 
separation  be  not  made.     Count  then  a  hundred 
seeds,  taken  promiscuously,  and  put  them  into  wa- 
ter as  before  directed.     If  fifty  sink  and  fifty  swim, 
half  your  seed  is  bad  and  half  good  ;  and  so,  in 
proportion,    as  to   other  numbers  of  sinkers   and 
swimmers.     There  may  be  plants,  the  sound  seeds 
of  which  will  not  sink  ;  but  I  know  of  none.    If  to 
be  found  in  any  instance,  they  would,  I  think,  be 
found  in  those  of  the  Tulip-tree,  the  Ash,  the  Birch, 
and  the  Parsnip,  all  of  which  are  furnished  with  so 
large  a  portion  of  wing.     Yet  all  these,  if  sound, 
will  sink,   if  put  into  warm  water,  with   the  wet 
worked  a  little  into  the  wings  first. 

135.  There  is,  however,  another  way  of  ascer 
taining  this  important  fact,   the  soundness,  or  un 
soundness   of  seed  ;  and  that  is,   by  sowing  them. 
If  you  have  a  hot-bed  ;  or,   if  not,    how  easy  to 
make  one    for  a  hand-glass    (see  Paragraph   94), 
put  a  hundred  seeds,  taken  as  before  directed,  sow 
them   in   a  flower  pot,  and  plunge  the  pot  in  the 
earth,  under  the  glass,  in  the  hot-bed,  or  hand-glass. 
The  climate,  under  the  glass,  is  warm  ;  and  a  rerv 


?0  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 

few  days  will  tell  you  what  proportion  of  ycur  seed 
is  sound.  But,  there  is  this  to  be  said .;  that,  with 
strong  heat  under,  and  with  such  complete  pro- 
tection above,  seeds  may  come  up  that  would  not 
come  up  in  the  open  ground.  There  may  be  enough 
of  the  germinating  principle  to  cause  vegetation  in 
a  hot-bed,  and  not  enough  to  cause  it  in  the  open 
air  and  cold  ground.  Therefore  I  incline  to  the 
opinion  that  we  should  try  seeds  as  our  ancestors 
tried  Witches  ;  not  by  fire,  but  by  water;  and  that, 
following  up  their  practice,  we  should  reprobate  and 
destroy  all  that  do  not  readily  sink. 

SAVING    AND   PRESERVING    SEED. 

136.  This  is  a  most  important  branch  of  the  Gar- 
dener's business.     There  are  rules  applicable  to 
particular  plants.    Those  will  be  given  in  their  pro- 
per places.    It  is  my  business  here  to  speak  of  such 
as  are  applicable  to  all  plants. 

137.  First,  as  to  the  saving  of  seed,  the  truest 
plants  should  be  selected ;  that  is  to  say,  such  as 
one  of  the  most  perfect  shape  and  quality.    In  the 
Cabbage  we  seek  small  stem,  well-formed  loaf,  few 
spare,  or  loose,  leaves  ;  in  the  Turnip,  large  bulb, 
small  neck,  slender-stalked  leaves,  solid  flesh,  or 
pulp  ;  in  the  Radish,  high  colour  (if  red  or  scarlet,) 
small  neck,    few  and  short  leaves,  and   long  top, 
the  marks  of  perfection  are  well  known,  and  none 
but  perfect  plants  should  be  saved  for  seed.     The 
case  is  somewhat  different  as  to  plants,  which  are 
some  male  and  others  female,  but,  these  present  ex- 
ceptions to  be  noticed  under  the  names  of  such  plants. 

138.  Of  plants,   the  early  coming  of  which  is  a 
circumstance  of  importance,  the  very  earliest  should 
be  chosen  for  seed  ;  for,  they  will  almost  always  be 
ibund  to  include  the  highest  degree  of  perfection  in 
other  respects.    They  should  have  great  pains  take» 


fll.)  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  71 

with  them ;  the  soil  and  situation  should  be  good  ; 
and  they  should  be  carefully  cultivated,  during  the 
time  that  they  are  carrying  on  their  seed  to  per- 
feciion. 

139.  But,  effectual  means  must  be  taken  to  pre- 
vent a  mixing  of  the  sorts,  or,  to  speak  in  the  lan- 
guage of  farmers,  a  crossing  of  the  breeds.    There 
can  be  no  cross  between  the  sheep  and  the  dog  : 
but  there  can  be  between  the  dog  and  the  wolf: 
and,  we  daily  see  it,  between  the  greyhound  and 
the  hound ;  each  valuable  when   true  to  his  kind : 
and  a  cross  between  the  two,  fit  for  nothing  but  the 
rope ;  a  word  which,  on  this  occasion,  I  use,  in  pre- 
ference to  that  of  halter,  out  of  respect  for  the  my 
dern  laws  and  usages  of  my  native  country. 

140.  There  can  be  no  cross  between  a  cabbage 
and  a  carrot :  but  there  can  be,  between  a  cabbage 
and  a  turnip ;  between  a  cabbage  and  a  cauliflower 
nothing  is  more  common ;  and,  as  to  the  different 
sorts  of  cabbages,  they  will  produce  crosses,  pre- 
senting twenty,   and  perhaps  a  thousand,  degrees, 
from  the  Early  York  to  the  Savoy.     Turnips  will 
mix  with  radishes  and  ruta-baga  ;  all   these  with 
rape  ;  the  result  will  mix  with  cabbages  and  cauli- 
flowers ;  so  that,  if  nothing  were  done  to  preserve 
plants  true  to  their  kind,  our  gardens  would  soon 
present  us  with  little  besides  mere  herbage. 

141.  As  to  the  causes,  I  pretend  not  to  dive  into 
them.      As   to  the    "  affectionate  feelings"   from 
which  the  effect  arises,  I  leave  that  to  those  who 
have  studied  the  "  loves  of  the  plants."     But,  as  to 
the  effect  itself  I  can  speak  positively  ;  for,  I  have 
now  on  the  table  before  me  an  ear  of  Indian  Corn 
having  in  it  grains  of  three  distinct  sorts ;  WHITE 
CORN,  that  is  to  say,  colour  of  bright  rye-straw 
YELLOW  COR  K,  that  is  to  say,  colour  of  a  deep 


72  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

coloured  orange ;  SWEPT  CORN,  that  is  to  say,  co- 
lour of  drab,  and  deep-wrinkled,  while  the  other 
two  are  plump,  and  smooth  as  polished  ivory.  The 
plant  was  from  a  grain  of  White  Corn  ;  but,  there 
were  Yellow,  and  Sweet,  growing  in  the  same  field, 
though  neither  at  less  than  three  hundred  yards  dis- 
tant from  the  white.  The  whole,  or,  at  least,  the 
greater  part,  of  the  White  Corn  that  grew  in  the 
patch  was  mixed  (some  ears  more  and  some  less) 
in  the  same  way  ;  and  each  of  the  three  sorts  were 
mixed  with  the  other  two,  in  much  about  the  same 
proportion  that  the  White  Corn  was. 

142.  Here  we  have  the  different  sorts  assembled 
in  the  same  ear,  each  grain  retaining  all  its  distinc- 
tive marks,  and  all  the  qualities,  too,  that  distin- 
guish it  from  the  other  two.    Sometimes,  however, 
the  mixture  takes  place  in  a  different  way,  and  the 
different  colours  present  themselves  in  streaks  in 
all  the  grains  of  the  ear,  rendering  the  colour  of 
the  grains  variegated  instead  of  their  being  one- 
coloured. 

143.  It  is  very  well  known,  that  effects  like  this 
are  never  perceived,  unless  in  cases  where  different 
sorts  of  Indian  Corn  grow  at  no   great  distance 
from  each  other.     Probably,   too,   to  produce  this 
intermixture,   the  plants  of  the  several  sorts  must 
be  all  of  the  same  age  ;  must  all  be  equal  in  point 
of  time  of  blowing  and  kerning.    But,  be  this  as  it 
may,  the  fact  of  intermixture  is  certain  :  and,  we 
have  only  to  know  the  fact  to  be  induced  to  take 
effectual  measures  to  provide  against  it. 

144.  As  to  bees  carrying  the  matter,  and  impreg- 
nating plants  with  it,  the  idea  appears  nonsensical ; 
for,  how  comes  it  that  whole  fields  of  Indian  Corn 
are  thus  mixed  ?   And,  in  the  Indian  Corn,  let  it  be 
observed,  the  ear,  that  is  to  say,  the  grain-stalk,  is 


III.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  73 

at  about  four  feet  from  the  ground,  while  the  flower 
is,  perhaps,  eight  or  ten  feet  from  the  ground ! 
What,  then,  is  the  bee  (which  visits  only  the  flower) 
to  carry  the  matter  to  the  flower,  and  is  the  flower 
then  to  hand  it  down  to  the  car?  Oh,  no!  this  is 
much  too  clumsy  and  bungling  work  to  be  believed 
in.  The  effect  is,  doubtless,  produced  by  scent,  or 
smell;  for,  observe,  the  ear  is  so  constructed,  and 
is,  at  this  season,  so  guarded,  so  completely  enve- 
lopetl,  that  it  is  impossible  for  any  matter  whatever 
to  get  at  the  grain,  or  at  the  chest  of  the  grain, 
without  the  employment  of  mechanical  force. 

145.  Away,  then,  I  think  we  may  send  all  the 
nonsense  about  the  farina  of  the  male  flowers  be- 
ing carried  to  the  female  flowers,  on  which  so  much 
has  been  said  and  written,  and  in  consequence  of 
which  erroneous  notion  gardeners,  in  dear  Old 
England,  have  spent  so  much  time  in  assisting  Cu- 
cumbers and  Melons  in  their  connubial  intercourse. 
To  men  of  plain  sense,  this  is  something  so  incon- 
ceivable, that  I  am  afraid  to  leave  the  statement  un- 
supported by  proof,  which,  therefore,  I  shall  give 
in  a  quotation  from  an  English  work  on  Gardening 
by  the  Rev.  CHARLES  MARSHALL,  Vicar  of  Brix- 
worth  in  Northamptonshire.  "  Setting  the  fruit  is 
the  practice  of  most  good  gardeners,  as  generally 
insuring  the  embryos  from  going  off,  as  they  are 
apt  to  do  at  an  early  season ;  when  not  much  wind 
can  be  suffered  to  enter  the  bed,  and  no  bees  or  in- 
sects are  about,  to  convey  the  farina  from  the  male 
flowers  to  the  female.  The  male  flowers,  have  been 
ignorantly  called  false  blossoms,  and  so  have  been 
regularly  pulled  off(as  said)  to  strengthen  the  plants ; 
but  they  are  essential  to  impregnate  the  female 
flowers ;  i.  e.  tho  se  that  shew  the  yo«ung  fruit  al 
their  base:  This  impregnation,  called  setting  the 


74  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

fruit,  is  artificially  done  thus  :  as  soon  as  any  fe- 
male flowers  are  fully  open,  gather  a  newly  opened 
male  flower,  and  stripping  the  leaf  gently  oft'  from 
the  middle,  take  nicely  hold  of  the  bottom,  and 
twirling  the  top  of  the  male  (reversed)  over  the 
centre  of  the  female  flower,  the  fine  fertilizing 
dust  from  the  male  part  will  fall  off,  and  adhere  to 
the  female  part,  and  fecundate  it,  causing  the  fruit 
to  keep  its  colour,  swell,  and  proceed  fast  towards 
perfection.  This  business  of  setting  the  fruit  may 
be  practised  through  the  months  of  February, 
March,  and  April,  but  afterwards  it  will  not  be  ne- 
cessary ;  for  the  admission  of  so  much  air  as  may 
afterwards  be  given,  will  disperse  the  farina  effect- 
ually ;  but  if  the  weather  still  is  bad,  or  remarkably 
calm,  setting  may  be  continued  a  little  longer.  If 
short  of  male  flowers,  one  of  them  may  serve  to 
impregnate  two  females  /" 

146.  Lest  the  American  reader  should  be  disposed 
to  lament,  that  such  childish  work  as  this  is  made 
to  occupy  the  time  of  English  Gardeners,  it  may 
not  be  amiss  to  inform  him,  that  those  to  whom  the 
Reverend  Gentleman  recommends  the  practising  ol 
these  mysteries,  have  plenty  of  beef  and  pudding 
and  beer  at  their  masters'  expense,  while  they  are 
engaged  in  this  work  of  impregnation ;  and  that 
their  own  living  by  no  means  depends,  even  in  the 
smallest  degree,  upon  the  effect  of  the  application 
of  this  "  fine  fertilizing  dust"  To  say  the  truth, 
however,  there  is  nothing  of  design  here,  on  the 
part  of  the  gardener.  He,  in  good  earnest,  be- 
lieves, that  this  operation  is  useful  to  the  growth  of 
the  fruit  of  his  cucumber  plants  :  and,  how  is  he  to 
'believe  otherwise,  when  he  sees  the  fact  gravely 
taken  for  granted  by  such  men  as  a  Clergyman  of 
the  Church  of  England  ' 


HI.}  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  75 

147.  Suffice  it,  now,  that  we  know,  that  sorts  will 
mix,  when  seed-plants  of  the  same  tribe  stand  near 
each  other ;  and  we  may  easily  suppose,  that  this 
may  probably  take  place  though  the  plants  stand  at 
a  considerable  distance  apart,  since  I  have,  in  the 
case  of  my  Indian  Corn,   given  proof  of  mixture, 
when  the  plants  were   three  hundred  yards  from 
each  other.     What  must  be  the  consequence,  then, 
of  saving  seed  from  cucumbers,  melons,  pumpkins, 
squashes,  and  gourds,  all  growing  in  the  same  gar- 
den at  the  same  time  ?  To  save  the  seed  of  two  sorts 
of  any  tribe,  in  the  same  garden,  in  the  same  year, 
ought  not  to  be  attempted  ;  and  this  it  is,  that  makes 
it  difficult  for  any  one  man  to  raise  all  sorts  of  seeds 
good  and  true. 

148.  However,  some  may  be  saved  by  every  one 
who  has  a  garden  ;  and,  when  raised,  they  ought 
to  be  carefully  preserved.    They  are  best  preserved 
in  the  pod,  or  on  the  stalks.     Seeds  of  many  sorts 
will  be  perfectly  good  to  the  age  of  eight  or  ten 
years,  if  kept  in  the  pod  or  on  the  stalks,  which 
seeds,  if  threshed,  will  be  good  for  little  at  the  end 
of  three  years   or  less.     However,  to  keep  seeds, 
without  threshing  them  out,  is  seldom  convenient, 
often   impracticable,  and  always  exposes  them  to 
injury  from  mice  and  rats,  and  from  various  other 
enemies,  of  which,  however,  the  greatest  is  careless 
ness.    Therefore,  the  best  way  is,  except  for  things 
that  are  very  curious,  and  that  lie  in  a  small  com-, 
pass,  to  thresh  out  all  seeds. 

149.  They  should  stand   till  perfectly  ripe,  if 
possible.      They    should     be    cut,    or    pulled,    or 
gathered,  when    it    is  dry ;    and,    they  should,  if 
possible,  be  dry  as  dry  can   be,  before    they  are 
threshed   out.      If,   when  threshed,   any  moisture 
remain  about  them,  thev  should  be  placed  in  the 


76 


THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER 


[Chap. 


sun  ;  or,  near  a  fire  in  a  dry  room  ;  and,  when 
quite  dry,  should  be  put  into  bags,  and  hung  up 
against  a  very  dry  wall,  or  dry  boards,  where  they 
will  by  no  accident  get  damp.  The  best  place  is 
some  room,  or  place,  where  there  is,  occasionally 
at  least,  a  fire  kept  in  winter. 

150.  Thus  preserved,  kept  from  open  air  and 
from  damp,  the  seeds  of  vegetables  will  keep  sound 
and  good  for  sowing  for  the  number  years  stated 
in  the  following  list ;  to  which  the  reader  will  par- 
ticularly attend.  Some  of  the  seeds  in  this  list 
will  keep,  sometimes,  a  year  longer,  if  very  well 
saved  and  very  well  preserved,  and  especially  il 
closely  kept  from  exposure  to  the  open  air.  But, 
to  lose  a  crop  from  unsoundness  of  seed  is  a  sad 
thing,  and,  it  is  indeed,  negligence  wholly  inex 
cusable  to  sow  seed  of  the  soundness  of  which  we 
are  not  certain. 


Artichoke 

Asparagus  - 

Balm 

Basil  - 

Bean 

Bean  (Kidney)   - 

Beet 

Borage 

Brocoli   - 

Burnet 

Cabbage  - 

Calabash    - 

Cale 

Cale  (Sea) 

Camomile 

Capsicum   - 

Caraway 

Carrot 

Cauliflower     - 

Celery 

Chervil  - 


Years.                                                         fears 

m 

3 

Gives  -        -.- 

3 

m 

4 

Corn        - 

5 

_ 

2 

Corn-Salad 

2 

2 

Coriander 

3 

m 

1 

Cress  - 

2 

1 

Cucumber       -        - 

10 

_ 

10 

Dandelion  - 

10 

4 

Dock       .... 

1 

. 

4 

Endive        ... 

4 

F, 

m 

4 

Garlick 

3 

7 

Gourd     - 

10 

. 

4 

Hop    .... 

2 

3 

Horse-Radish 

4 

m 

2 

Hyssop        - 

f» 

2 

Jerusalem  Artichoke 

3 

„ 

4 

Lavender    - 

2 

1 

Leek       - 

2 

m 

4 

Lettuce       - 

3 

10 

Mangle  Wurzel     • 

10 

- 

6  i  Marjoram  - 

4 

UI.J 


THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 


Years. 

-        3 

Rue 

10 

Ruta-Baga  - 

-      4 

Salsify    - 

4 

Samphire   - 

-      2 

Savory    - 

2 

Scorzenera 

•      6 

Shalot     - 

1 

Skiri-el 

-      1 

Sorrel      - 

2 

Spinach 

-      3 

Squash    - 

10 

Tansy 

-      2 

Tarragon 

2 

Thyme 

-      2 

Tomatum 

4 
-       1 

Turnip 
Wormwood 

3 

77 

Team. 

-  3 
4 

-  2 
3 

-  2 
2 

-  4 
4 

-  7 
4 

-  10 

3 

-  4 
2 

-  2 
4 

-  2 


Marigold 
Melon 
Mint 
Mustard 
Nasturtium     - 
Onion  - 
Parsley  - 
Parsnip 
Pea 

Pennyroyal 
Potatoe   - 
Pumpkin    - 
Purslane 
Radish  -      - 
Rampion 
Rape  - 
Rhubarb  - 
Rosemary   - 

151.  Notwithstanding  this  list,  I  always  sow  new 
seed  in  preference  to  old,  if,  in  all  other  respects,  I 
know  the  new  to  be  equal  to  the  old.     And,  as  to 
the  notion,  that  seeds  can  be  the  better  for  being 
old,  even  more   than  a  year  old,  I  hold  it  to   be 
monstrously  absurd  ;  and  this  opinion  I  give  as  the 
result  of  long  experience,  most  attentive  observa- 
tion, and  numerous  experiments  made  for  the  ex- 
press purpose  of  ascertaining  the  fact. 

152.  Yet,  it  is  a  received  opinion,  a  thing  taken 
for  granted,  an  axiom  in  horticulture,  that  Melon 
seed  is  the  better  for  being  old.     Mr.  MARSHALL, 
quoted  above,  in  paragraph  145,  says,  that  it  ought 
to  be  "  about  four  years  old,  though  some  prefer  it 
much  older."     And  he  afterwards  observes,   that 
"  if  new  seed  only  can  be  had,  it  should  be  carried 
a  week  or  two  in  the  breeches-pocket,  to  dry  away 
some  of  the  more  watery  particles  !"  What  should 
we  do  here,  where  no  breeches  are  worn  !  If  age 
be  a  recommendation  in  rules  as  well  as  in  Melon 

7* 


78  THE    AMERICAN    GA.RDENER.  [Chap. 

seed,  this  rule  has  it ;  for,  English  authors  published 
it,  and  French  authors  laughed  at  it,  more  than  a 
century  past ! 

153.  The  reader  will  observe,  that,  in  England, 
a  melon    is   a  melon ;    that   they  are   not,   there, 
brought  into  market  in  wagon  loads  and  boat  loads, 
and  tossed  down  in  immense  heaps  on  the  stones ; 
but,  are  carried,  by  twos,  or  threes,  and  with  as  much 
care  as  a  new-born  baby  is  carried.    In  short,  they 
are  sold  at  from  a  dollar  to   four  dollars   apiece. 
This  alters  the  case.     Those  who  can  afford  to  have 
melons  raised  in  their  gardens,  can  afford  to  keep 
a  conjuror  to  raise  them  ;  and  a  conjuror  will  hardly 
condescend  to  follow  common  sense  in  his  practice. 
This  would  be  lowering  the  profession  in  the  eyes 
of  the  vulgar ;  and,  which  would  be  very  danger- 
ous,  in   the   eyes   of   his   employer.     However,  a 
great  deal  of  this  stuff  is  traditionary  ;  and,  as  was 
observed  before,  how  are  we  to  find  the  conscience 
to  blame  a  gardener  for  errors  inculcated  by  gen- 
tlemen of  erudition  ! 

154.  I   cannot  dismiss   this  part  of  my  subject 
without  once  more  cautioning  the  reader  against 
the  danger  of  unripe  seed.     In  cases  where  winter 
overtakes  you  before  your  seed  be  quite  ripe,  the 
best  way  is  to  pull  up  the  plants  and  hang  them  by 
the  heels  in  a  dry,  airy  place,  till  all  green  depart 
from  the  stalks,  and  until  they  be  quite  dry,  and 
wholly  rid  of  juice.     Even  in  hot  weather,  when 
the  seed  would  drop  out,  if  the   plants  were  left 
standing,  pull,  or  cut,  the  plants,  and  lay  them  on 
a  cloth  in  the  sun,  till  the  seed  be  all  ready  to  fall 
out;  for,  if  forced  from  the  pod,  the  seed  is  never 
so  good.    Seeds  will  grow  if  gathered  when  they  are 
green  as  grass,  and  afterwards  dried  in  the  sun  ;  but 
they  do  not  produce  plants  like  those  coming  from 


III.)  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  79 

ripe  seed.  I  tried,  some  years  ago,  fifty  grains  of 
wheat,  gathered  green,  against  fifty,  gathered  ripe. 
Not  only  were  the  plants  of  the  former  feeble, 
when  compared  with  the  latter;  not  only  was  the 
produce  of  the  former  two-thirds  less  than  that  of 
the  latter  ;  but  even  the  quality  of  the  grain  was  not 
half  so  good.  Many  of  the  ears  had  smut,  which 
was  not  the  case  with  those  that  came  from  the 
ripened  seed,  though  the  land  and  the  cultivation 
were,  in  both  cases,  the  same. 
SOWING. 

155.  The  first  thing,  relating  to  sowing,  is,  the 
preparation  of  the  ground.     It  may  be  more  or 
\essjlne  according  to  the  sort  of  seed  to  be  sown. 
Peas  and  beans  do  not,  of  course,  require  the  earth 
so  fine  as  small  seeds  do.     But,  still,  the  finer  the 
better  for  every  thing" ;  for,  it  is  best  if  the  seed  be 
actually  pressed  by  the  earth  in  every  part;  and 
many  seeds,  if  not  all,  are  best  situated  when  the 
earth  is  trodden  down  upon  them. 

156.  Of  course  the  ground  should  be  good,  either 
in  itself,  or  made  good  by  manure  of  some  sort, 
and,  on  the  subject  of  manure,  see  Paragraphs  28 
and  29.     But,  in  all  cases,  the  ground  should  be 
fresh ;  that  is  to  say,  it  should  be  dug  just  before 
the  act  of  sowing,  in  order  that  the  seeds  may  have 
the  full  benefit  of  the  fermentation,  that  takes  place 
upon  every  moving  of  the  earth. 

157.  Never  sow  when  the  ground  is  wet ;  nor, 
indeed,  if  it  can  be  avoided,  perform  any  other  act 
with,  or  on,  the  ground  of  a  garden.     If  you  dig 
ground  in  wet  weather,  you  make  a  sort  of  mortar 
of  it :  it  binds  when  then  sun  or  wind  dries  it.    The 
fermentation  does  not  take  place  :  and  it  becomes 
unfavourable  to  vegetation,  especially  if  the  ground 
be,  in  the  smaPest  decree,  stiff  in  its  nature.     It  is 


SO  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

even  desirable,  that  wet  should  not  come  for  some 
days  after  ground  has  been  moved  ;  for,  if  the  wet 
come  befo-re  the  ground  be  dry  at  the  top,  the  eartli 
will  run  together,  and* will  become  bound  at  top. 
Sow,  therefore,  if  possible,  in  dry  weather,  but  in 
freshly-moved  ground. 

158.  The  season  for  sowing  will,  of  course,  find 
a  place  under  the  names  of  the  respective  plants  ; 
and,  I  do  hope,  that  it  is,  when  I   am  addressing 
myself  to  Americans,  unnecessary  for  me  to  say, 
that  sowing  according  to  the  Moon  is  wholly  absurd 
and  ridiculous,  and   that  it  arose  solely  out  of  the 
circumstance,  that  our  forefathers,  who  could  not 
read,  had  neither  Almanack  nor  Kalendar,  to  guide 
them,  and  who  counted  by  Moons  and  Festivals  in- 
stead of  by  Months  arid  Days  of  Month. 

159.  However,  it  is  necessary  to  observe,  that 
some,  and  even  many,   things,  which  are  usually 
sown  in  the  Spring,  would  be  better  sown  in  the 
fall ;  and,  especially  when  we  consider  how  little 
time  there  is  for  doing  all  things  in  the  Spring. 
Parsnips,   carrots,    beets,  onions,  and  many  other 
things,  may  be  safely  sown  in  the  fall.     The  seed 
will  not  perish,  if  covered  by  the  earth.    But,  then, 
care  must  be  taken  to  sow  early  enough  in  the  fall 
for  the  plants  to  come  up  before  the  frost  set  in. 
The  seed  of  all  plants  will  lie  safe  in  this  way  all 
the  winter,  though   the  frost  penetrate  to  the  dis- 
tance of  three  feet  beneath  them,  except  the  seeds 
of  such  plants  as  a  slight  frost  will  cut  down.    The 
seed  of  kidney  beans,  for  instance,  will  rot,  if  the 
ground  be  not  warm  enough  to  bring-  it  up.     So 
will  the  seed  of  cucumbers,  melons,   and  Indian 
Corn,  unless  buried  beyond  the  reach  of  the  influ 
ence  of  the  atmosphere,     Even  early  peas   would 
be  best  sown  in  the  fall,  could  you  have  an  insu- 


III.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  81 

ranee  against  mice.  We  all  knoxv,  what  a  bustle 
there  is  to  get  in  early  peas.  If  they  were  sown 
in  the  fall,  they  would  start  up  the  moment  the  frost 
were  out  of  the  ground,  and  would  be  ten  days 
earlier  in  bearing,  in  spite  of  every  effort  made  by 
the  spring-sowers  to  make  their  peas  overtake 
them.  Upon  a  spot,  where  I  saved  peas  for  seed, 
last  year,  some  that  was  left,  in  a  lock  of  haulm, 
at  the  harvesting,  and  that  lay  upon  the  dry  ground, 
till  the  land  was  ploughed  late  in  November,  came 
up,  in  the  spring,  the  moment  the  frost  was  out  of 
the  ground,  and  they  were  in  bloom  full  fifteen  days 
earlier  than  those,  sown  in  the  same  field  as  early 
as  possible  in  the  spring.  Doubtless,  they  would 
have  borne  peas  fifteen  days  sooner ;  but  there 
were  but  a  very  few  of  them,  and  those  standing 
straggling  about ;  and  I  was  obliged  to  plough  up 
the  ground  where  they  were  growing.  In  some 
cases  it  would  be  a  good  way,  to  cover  the  sown 
ground  with  litter,  or  with  leaves  of  trees,  as  soon 
as  the  frost  has  fairly  set  in  ;  but,  not  before  ;  for, 
if  you  do  it  before,  the  seed  may  vegetate,  and  then 
may  be  killed  by  the  frost.  One  object  of  this  fall- 
sowing,  is,  to  get  the  work  done  ready  for  spring  ; 
for,  at  that  season,  you  have  so  many  things  to 
do  at  once!  Besides,  you  cannot  sow  the  instant 
the  frost  breaks  up  ;  for  the  ground  is  wet  and 
clammy,  unfit  to  be  dug  or  touched  or  trodden 
upon.  So  that  here  are  ten  days  lost.  But,  the 
scad,  which  has  lain  in  the  ground  all  the  winter, 
is  ready  to  start  the  moment  the  earth  is  clear  of 
th»  winter  frost,  and  it  is  v.p  by  the  time  you  can 
get  other  seed  into  the  ground  in  a  good  state.  Fall- 
sowing  of  seeds  to  come  up  in  the  spring  is  not 
poetised  in  England,  though  they  there  are  always 
to  get  their  things  early.  The  reason  is 


82  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENEH.  [Chap. 

the  uncertainty  of  their  winter,  which  passes,  some- 
times with  hardly  any  frost  at  all  ;  and  which  at 
other  times,  is  severe  enough  to  freeze  the  Thames 
over.  It  is  sometimes  mild  till  February  and  then 
severe.  Sometimes  it  begins  with  severity  arid 
ends  with  mildness.  So  that,  nine  times  out  of  ten, 
their  seed  would  come  up  and  the  plants  would  be 
destroyed  before  spring.  Besides,  they  have  slugs 
that  come  out  in  mild  weather,  and  eat  small  plants 
up  in  the  winter.  Other  insects  and  reptiles  do  the 
like.  From  these  obstacles  the  American  gardener 
is  free.  His  winter  sets  in  ;  and  the  earth  is  safely 
closed  up  against  vegetation  till  the  spring.  I  am 
speaking  of  the  North  of  Virginia,  to  be  sure  ;  but 
the  gardener  to  the  South  will  adapt  the  observa- 
tions to  his  climate,  as  far  as  they  relate  to  it. 

160.  As  to  the  act  of  sowing,  the  distances  and 
depths  differ  with  different  plants,  and  these  will,  of 
bourse,  be  pointed  out  under  the  names  of  those 
different  plants  ;  but,  one  thing  is  common  to  all 
seeds  ;  and  that  is,  that  they  should  be  sown  in 
rows  or  drills ;  for,  unless  they  be  sown  in  this 
way,  all  is  uncertainty.  The  distribution  of  the 
seed  is  unequal ;  the  covering  is  of  unequal  depth  ; 
and,  when  the  plants  come  up  in  company  with  the 
weeds,  the  difficulty  of  ridding  the  ground  of  the 
latter,  without  destroying  the  former,  is  very  great 
indeed,  and  attended  with  ten  times  the  labour. 
Plants,  in  their  earliest  state,  generally  require  to 
be  thinned;  which  cannot  be  done  with  regularity, 
unless  t'hey  stand  in  rows  ;  and,  as  to  every  future 
operation,  how  easy  is  the  labour  in  the  one  case 
and  how  hard  in  the  other  !  It  is  of  great  advantage 
to  almost  all  plants  to  move  the  ground  somewhat 
deep  while  they  are  growing  ;  but,  how  is  this  to 
be  dor.e,  unless  they  stand  in  rows  ?  If  they  be  dis- 


III.]  THE    AMERICAN    CARDFNER.  83 

persed  promiscuously  over  the  ground,  to  perform 
this  operation  is  next  to  impossible. 

161.  The   great  obstacle  to    the   following  of  a 
method  so  obviously  advantageous,  is,  the  trouble. 
To  draw  lines  for  peas  and  beans  is  not  deemed 
troublesome ;  but,  to  do  this  for  radishes,  onions, 
carrots,  lettuces,  beds  of  cabbages,  and  other  small 
seeds,  is  regarded  as  tedious.     When  we  consider 
the  saving-  of  trouble  afterwards,   this   trouble  is 
really  nothing,  even  if  the   drills  were   drawn  one 
at  a  time  by  a  line  or  rule ;  but,  this  need  not  be 
the  case ;  for,  a  very  cheap  and  simple  tool  does 
the  business  with  as  much  quickness  as  sowing  at 
random. 

162.  Suppose  there  be  a  bed  of  onions  to  be 
sown.     I  make  my  drills  in  this  way.    I  have  what 
I  call  a  Driller,  which  is  a  rake  six  feet  long  in  the 
head.     This  head  is  made  of  White  Oak,  2  inches 
by  2^ ;  and  has  teeth  in  it  at  eight  inches  asunder, 
each  tooth  being  about  six  inches  long,  and  an  inch 
in  diameter  at  the  head,  and  is  pointed  a  little  al 
the  end  that  meets  the  ground.     This  gives  nine 
teeth,  there  being  four  inches  over  at  each  end  of 
the  head.     In  this  head,  there  is  a  handle  fixed  of 
about  six  feet  long.    When  my  ground  is  prepared, 
raked  nice  and   smooth,   and  cleaned  from  stones 
and  clods,  I  begin  at  the  left  hand  end  of  the  bed, 
and  draw  across  it  nine  rows  at  once.     I  then  pro- 
ceed, taking  care  to  keep  the  left  hand  tooth  of  the 
Driller  in  the  right  hand  drill  that  has  just  been 
made  ;  so  that  now  I  make  but  eight  new  drills, 
because  (for  a  guide)  the  left  hand  tooth  goes  this 
time  in  the  drill,  which  was  before  made  by  the 
right  hand  tooth.     Thus,  at  every  draw,  I  make 
eight  drills.     And,  in  this  way,  a  pretty  long  bed 
is  formed  into  nice,  straight  drills  in  a  very  few  mi 


R4  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

nutes.  The  sowing,  after  this,  is  done  with  truth, 
and  the  depth  of  the  covering  must  be  alike  for  all 
the  seeds.  If  it  be  Parsnips  or  Carrots,  which  re- 
quire a  wider  distance  between  the  rows  ;  or,  Cab- 
bage plants,  which,  as  they  are  to  stand  only  for  a 
while,  do  not  require  distances  so  wide  :  in  these 
cases,  other  Drillers  may  be  made.  And,  what  is 
the  expense  ?  There  is  scarcely  an  American  farmer, 
who  would  not  make  a  set  of  Drillers,  for  six-inch, 
eight-inch,  and  twelve-inch  distances,  in  a  winter's 
day  ;  and,  consisting  of  a  White  Oak  head  and  han- 
dle, and  of  Locust  teeth,  every  body  knows,  that 
the  tools  might  descend  from  father  to  son  to  the 
fourth  or  fifth  generation.  I  hope,  therefore,  that 
no  one  will,  on  the  score  of  tediousness,  object  to 
the  drilling  of  seeds  in  a  garden. 

163.  In  the  case  of  large  pieces  of  ground,  a 
hand  Driller  is  not  sufficient.  Yet,  if  the  land  be 
ploughed,  furrows  might  make  the  paths,  the  har- 
row might  smooth  the  ground,  and  the  hand-driller 
might  be  used  for  onions,  or  for  any  thing  else. 
However,  what  I  have  done  for  Kidney  Beans  is 
this.  I  have  a  roller  drawn  by  an  ox,  or  a  horse. 
The  roller  is  about  eight  inches  in  diameter,  and 
ten  feet  long,  To  that  part  of  the  frame  of  the 
roller,  which  projects,  or  hangs  over  beyond  the 
roller  behind,  I  attach,  by  means  of  two  pieces  of 
wood  and  two  pins,  a  bar  ten  feet  long.  Into  this 
bar  I  put  ten  teeth ;  and  near  the  middle  of  the  bar 
two  handles.  The  roller  being  put  in  motion  breaks 
all  the  clods  that  the  harrow  has  left,  draws  after  it 
the  ten  teeth,  and  the  ten  teeth  make  ten  drills,  as 
deep,  or  as  shallow,  as  the  man  chooses  who  fol- 
lows the  roller,  holding  the  two  handles  of  the  bar. 
The  two  pieces  of  wood,  which  connect  the  bai 
with  the  hinder  projecting  part  of  the  frame  of  the 


III.  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  85 

roller,  work  on  the  pins,  so  as  to  let  the  bar  up  and 
down,  as  occasion  may  require  ;  and,  of  course, 
while  the  roller  is  turning,  ai  the  end,  the  bar,  with 
the  teeth  in  it,  is  raised  from  the  ground. 

104.  Thus  are  ten  drills  made  by  an  ox,  in  about 
five  minutes,  which  would  perhaps  require  a  man 
more  than  a  day  to  make  with  a  hoe.  In  short,  an 
ox,  or  a  horse,  and  a  man  and  a  boy,  will  do  twelve 
acres  in  a  day  with  ease.  And  to  draw  the  drills 
u'ith  a  hoe  would  require  forty-eight  men  at  the 
least ;  for,  there  is  the  line  to  be  at  work  as  well  as 
the  hoe.  Wheat  and  even  Peas  are,  in  the  fields, 
drilled  by  machines  ;  but  beans  cannot,  and  espe- 
cially kidney  beans.  Drills  must  be  made ;  and, 
where  they  are  cultivated  on  a  large  scale,  how  te- 
dious and  expensive  must  be  the  operation  to  make 
the  drills  by  line  and  hoe!  When  the  drills  are 
made,  the  beans  are  laid  in  at  proper  distances,  then 
covered  with  a  light  harrow  (frame  of  White-Oak 
and  tines  of  Locust,)  and  after  all  comes  the  roller, 
with  the  teeth  lifted  up  of  course  ;  and  all  is  smooth 
and  neat.  The  expense  of  such  an  apparatus  is 
really  nothing.  The  barrel  of  the  roller,  and  the 
teeth  bar,  ought  to  be  of  Locust,  which  never  pe- 
rishes, and  the  shafts  and  frame  of  White-Oak, 
which,  even  without  paint,  will  last  a  lifetime. 

165.  In  order  to  render  the  march  of  the  ox 
straight,  my  ground  was  ploughed  into  lands,  one 
of  which  took  the  ten  rows  of  kidney-rbeans  ;  so 
that  the  ox  had  only  to  be  kept  straight  along  upon 
the  middle  of  the  land.  And,  in  order  to  have  the 
lands  flat,  not  arched  at  all,  the  ground  was  plough- 
ed twice  in  this  shape,  which  brought  the  middle  of 
the  lands  where  the  furrows  were  before.  If,  how- 
ever, the  ground  had  been  flat-ploughed,  without 
any  furrow,  there  would  have  been  no  difficulty.  I 
8 


86  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

should  have  started  on  a  straight  side,  or  on  the 
straightest  side,  leaving  out  any  crook  or  angle  that 
there  might  have  been.  I  should  have  taken  two 
distant  objects,  two  objects,  found,  or  placed,  be- 
yond the  end  of  the  work,  and  should  have  directed 
the  head  of  the  ox  in  a  line  with  those  two  objects. 
Before  I  started,  I  should  have  measured  off  the 
width  to  find  where  the  ox  ought  to  come  to  again, 
and  then  have  fixed  two  objects  to  direct  his  coming 
back.  I  should  have  done  this  at  each  end,  till  the 
piece  had  been  finished. 

166.  But,  is  there  no  other  use,  to  which  this 
roller  could  be  put?  Have  I  not  seen,  in  the  mark- 
ing of  a  corn-field,  a  man  (nay,  the  farmer  himself) 
mounted  upon  a  horse,  which  dragged  a  log-  of  wood 
after  it,  in  order  to  indicate  the  lines  upon  which 
the  corn  was  to  be  planted  ?  And  have  I  not,  at 
other  times,  seen  the  farmer  making  these  marks, 
one  at  a  time,  with  a  plough  ?  And  have  I  not  seen 
the  beauty  of  these  most  beautiful  scenes  of  vege- 
tation marred  by  the  crookedness  of  the  lines  thus 
drawn  ?  Now,  take  my  roller,  take  all  the  teeth  out 
but  three,  let  these  three  be  at  four  feet  apart.  Be- 
gi?i  well  on  one  side  of  the  field ;  mount  your 
horse  :  load  the  teeth  well  with  a  stone  tied  on 
each  ;  drop  the  bar  ;  take  two  objects  in  your  eye  ; 
go  on,  keep  the  two  objects  in  line,  and  you  draw 
three  lines  at  once,  all  straight  and  parallel,  even  ii 
a  mile  long.  Then,  turn,  and  carefully  fix  the  horse 
again,  so  that  you  leave  four  feet  between  the  out- 
side line  drawn  before  and  the  inside  tooth.  You 
have  already  measured  at  the  other  end  (where  you 
started,)  and  have  placed  two  objects  for  your 
guide.  Go  on,  keeping  these  objects  in  a  line  ;  and 
you  have  three  more  lines.  Thus  you  proceed  till 
the  field  be  finished.  Here  is  a  great  saving  of 


III.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER  87 

time  ;  but,  were  it  for  nothing  but  the  look,  ought 
not  the  log-  to  give  place  to  the  roller? 

167.  If  I  have  strayed  here  out  of  the  garden  into 
the  field,  let  it  be  recollected,  that  I  write  princi- 
pally for  the  use  of  farmers.    I  now  return  to  gar- 
den-sowing. 

168.  When  the  seeds  are  properly,  and  at  suit- 
able distances,  placed  in  the  drills,  rake  the  ground, 
and,  in  all  cases,  tread  it  with  your  feet,  unless  it 
be  very  moist.    Then  rake  it  slightly  again  ;  for  all 
seeds  grow  best  when  the  earth  is  pressed  closely 
about  them.    When  the  plants  come  up,  thin  them, 
keep  them  clear  of  weeds,  and  attend  to  the  direc- 
tions given  under  the  names  of  the  several  plants. 

TRANSPLANTING. 

169.  The  weather  for  transplanting,  whether  of 
table  vegetables,  or  of  trees,  is  the  same  as  that  for 
sowing".     If  you  do  this  work  in  wet  weather,  or 
when  the   ground  is  wet,  the  work  cannot  be  well 
done.     It  is  no  matter  what  the  plant  is,  whether  it 
be  a  cucumber  plant,  or  an  oak-tree.     It  has  been 
observed,  as  to  seeds,  that  they  like  the   earth  to 
touch  them   in   every  part,  and  to  lie  close  about 
them.     It  is  the  same  with  roots.     One  half  of  the 
bad  growth  that  we  see  in  orchards  arises  from  neg- 
ligence in  the  planting- ;  from  tumbling  the  earth 
carelessly  in  upon  the  roots.     The  earth  should  be 
fnc  as  possible;  for,  if  it  be  not,  part  of  the  roots 
will  remain  untouched  by  the  earth.     If  ground  be 
wet,  it  cannot  be  fine.     And,  if  mixed  wet,  it  will 
remain  in  a  sort  of  mortar,  and  will  cling  and  bind 
together,  and  will  leave  more  or  less  of  cracks,  when 
it  become  dry. 

170.  If  possible,  therefore,  transplant  when  the 
ground  is  not  wet ;  but,  here  again,  as  in  the  case 
of  sowing,  let  it  be  dug,  or  deeply  moved,  and  well 


S8  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap, 

broken,  immediately  before  you  transplant  into  it. 
There  is  a  fermentation  that  takes  place  immedi- 
ately after  moving,  and  a  dew  arises,  which  did  not 
arise  before.  These  greatly  exceed,  in  power  of 
causing  the  plant  to  strike,  any  thing  to  be  obtained 
by  rain  on  the  plants  at  the  time  of  planting,  or  by 
planting  in  wet  earth.  Cabbages  and  Ruta  Baga 
(or  Swedish  Turnip)  I  have  proved,  in  innumerable 
instances,  will,  if  planted  in  freshly-moved  earth, 
under  a  burning  sun,  be  a  great  deal  finer  than  those 
planted  in  wet  ground,  or  during  rain.  The  causes 
are  explained  in  the  foregoing  paragraph  ;  and,  there 
never  was  a  greater,  though  most  popular  error, 
than  that  of  waiting  for  a  shower  in  order  to  set 
about  the  work  of  transplanting.  In  all  the  books, 
that  I  have  read,  without  a  single  exception :  in  the 
English  Gardening  books  ;  in  the  English  Farmer's 
Dictionary,  and  many  other  works  on  English  hus- 
bandry ;  in  the  Encyclopedia  ;  in  short,  in  all  the 
books  on  husbandry  and  on  gardening  that  I  have 
ever  read,  English  or  French,  this  transplanting  in 
showery  weather  is  recommended. 

171.  If  you  transplant  in  hot  weather,  the  leaves 
of  the  plants  will  be  scorched  ;  but  the  hearts  will 
live  ;  and  the  heat,  assisting  the  fermentation,  will 
produce  new  roots  in  twenty-four  hours,  and  new 
leaves  in  a  few  days.  Then  it  is  that  you  see  fine 
vegetation  come  on.  If  you  plant  in  wet,  that  wet 
must  be  followed  by  dry ;  the  earth,  from  being 
moved  in  wet,  contracts  the  mortary  nature  ;  hard- 
ens first,  and  then  cracks ;  and  the  plants  will 
stand  in  a  stunted  state,  till  the  ground  be  moved 
about  them  in  dry  weather.  If  I  could  have  my 
wish  in  the  planting  of  a  piece  of  Cabbages,  Ruta 
Baga,  Lettuces,  or,  almost  any  thing,  I  would  find 
the  ground  perfectly  dry  at  top  ;  I  would  have  it 


111.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER,  89 

dug  deeply  ;  plant  immediately  ;  and  have  no  rain 
for  three  or  four  days.  I  would  prefer  no  rain  for 
a  month  to  rain  at  the  time  of  planting. 

172.  This  is  a  matter  of  primary  importance. 
How  many  crops  are  lost  by  the  waiting  for  a 
shower!  And,  when  the  shower  comes,  the  ground 
is  either  not  dug,  or,  it  has  been  dug  for  some  time, 
and  the  benefit  of  the  fermentation  is  wholly  lost. 

173.  However,  there  are  some  very  tender  plants  ; 
plants  so  soft  and  juicy  as  to  be  absolutely  burnt  up 
and  totally  destroyed,  stems  and  all,  in  a  hot  sun, 
in  a  few  hours.     Cucumbers  and  Melons,  for  in- 
stance, and  some  plants  of  flowers.     These  which 
lie  in  a  small  compass,  must  be  shaded  at  least,  if 
not  watered,  upon  their  removal ;  a  more  particular 
notice  of  which  will  be  taken  as  we  proceed  in  the 
Lists  of  the  Plants. 

174.  In  the  act  of  transplanting,  the  main  things 
are  to  take  care  not  to  bury  the  heart  of  the  plant ; 
and  to   take  care  that  the  earth  be  well  pressed 
about  the  point  of  the  root  of  the  plant.    To  press 
the  earth  very  closely  about  the  stem  of  the  plant  is 
of  little  use,  if  you  leave  the  point  of  the  root  loose. 
I   beg  that   this    may  be  borne  in  mind  ;  for  the 
growth,  and  even  the  life,  of  the  plant,  depend  on 
great  care  as  to  this  particular.     See  Cabbage,  Pa- 
ragraph 200,  for  a  minute  description  of  the  act  of 
planting. 

175.  As  to  the  propagation  by  cuttings,  slips,  lay- 
ers and  offsets,  it  will  be  spoken  of  under  the  names 
of  the  several  plants  usually  propagated  in  any  of 
those  ways.      Cuttings   are    pieces    cut   off  from 
branches  of  trees  and  plants.     Slips  are  branches 
pulled  off  and  slipped  down  at  a  joint.    Layers  are 
branches  left  on  the  plant  or  tree,  and  bent  down  to 
the  ground,  and  fastened,  with  earth  laid  upon  the 

8* 


90  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap, 

part  between  the  plant  and  the  top  of  the  branch. 
Offsets  are  parts  of  the  root  and  plant  separated 
from  the  main  root. 

CULTIVATION. 

176.  Here,  as  in  the  foregoing  parts  of  this  Chap- 
ter, I  propose  to  speak  only  of  what  is  of  general 
application,  in  order  to  save  the  room   that  would 
be  necessary  to  repeat  instructions  for  cultivation 
under  the  names  of  the  several  plants. 

177.  The  ground  being  good,  and  the  sowing,  or 
planting,  having  been  properly  performed,  the  next 
thing  is   the  after-management,  which  is  usually 
called  the  cultivation. 

178.  If  the  subject  be  from  seed,  the  first  thing  is 
to  see  that   the  plants  stand  at  a  proper  distance 
from  each   other ;  because,  if  left  too   close,  they 
cannot  come   to   good.     Let  them  also  be  thinned 
early  ;  for,  even  while  in  seed-leaf,  they  injure  each 
other.      Carrots,   parsnips,    lettuces,    every  thing 
ought  to  be  thinned  in  the  seed-leaf. 

179.  Hoe,   or  weed,   immediately;  and,   let  me 
observe  here,  once  for  all,  that  weeds  never  ought 
to  be  suffered  to  get  to  any  size  either  in  field  or 
garden,  and  especially  in  the  latter.     In  England, 
where  it  rains,  or  drips,  sometimes,  for  a  month  to- 
gether, it  is  impossible  to  prevent  weeds  from  grow- 
ing.    But  in  this  fine   climate,  under  this  blessed 
sun,  who  never  absents  himself  for  more  than  about 
forty-eight  hours  at  a  time,  and  who  will  scorch  a 
dock-root,  or  a  dandelion-root,  to  death  in  a  day. 
and  lengthen  a  water-melon  shoot  24  inches  in  as 
many  hours  :  in  this  climate,  scandalous  indeed  it  is 
to  see  the  garden  or  the  field  infested  with  weeds. 

180.  But,  besides  the  act  of  killing  weeds,  culti- 
vation means  moving  the  earth  between  the  plants 
»vhile  growing.    This  assists  them  in  their  growth: 


III.J  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  91 

it  feeds  them  :  it  raises  food  for  their  roots  to  livp. 
upon.  A  mere  flat-hoeing  does  nothing  but  keep 
down  the  weeds.  The  hoeing  when  the  plants  are 
become  stout,  should  be  deep  ;  and,  in  general,  with 
a  hoe  that  has  spanes  instead  of  a  mere  flat  plate 
In  short,  a  sort  of  prong  in  the  posture  of  a  hoe 
And  the  spanes  of  this  prong-hoe  may  be  longer, 
or  shorter,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  crop  to  be 
hoed.  Deep-hoeing  is  enough  in  some  cases  ;  but, 
in  others,  digging-  is  necessary  to  produce  a  fine 
and  full  crop.  If  any  body  will  have  a  piece  of 
Cabbages,  and  will  dig  between  the  rows  of  one 
half  of  them,  twice  during  their  growth,  and  let  the 
other  half  of  the  piece  have  nothing  but  a  flat-hoe- 
ing, that  person  will  find  that  the  half  which  has 
been  digged  between,  will,  when  the  crop  is  ripe, 
weigh  nearly,  if  not  quite,  twice  as  much  as  the 
other  half.  But,  why  need  this  be  said  in  an  Indian 
Corn  country,  where  it  is  so  well  known,  that,  with- 
out being  ploughed  between,  the  corn  will  produce 
next  to  nothing ! 

181.  It  may  appear,   that,  to  dig  thus  amongst 
growing  plants  is  to  cut  off*,  or  tear  olF,  their  roots, 
of  which  the  ground  is  full.    This  is  really  the  case, 
and  this  does  great  good  ;  for  the   roots,  thus  cut 
asunder,  shoot  again  from  the  plant  side,  find  new 
food,  and  send,  instantly,  fresh  vigour  to  the  plant. 
The  effect  of  this  tillage  is  quite  surprizing.     We 
are  hardly  aware  of  its  power  in  producing  vegeta- 
tion ;  and  we  are  still  less  aware  of  the  distance,  to 
which  the  roots  of  plants  extend  in  every  direction. 

182.  MR.  TULL,  the  father  of  the  drill-husband- 
ry, gives  the  following  account  of  the  manner,  in 
which  he  discovered  the  distance  to  which  certain 
roots  extend.     I  should  observe  here,   that  he  was 
led  to  think  of  the  drilling  of  crops  in  the  fields  of 


92  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

England,  from  having,  when  in  France,  observed 
the  effects  of  inner-tillage  on  the  vines,  in  the  vine- 
yards. If  he  had  visited  America  instead  of  France, 
he  would  have  seen  the  effects  of  that  tillage,  in  a 
fitill  more  striking  light,  on  plants,  in  your  Indian 
Corn  fields;  for,  he  would  have  seen  these  plants 
spindling,  yellow,  actually  perishing,  to-day,  for 
want  of  ploughing ;  and,  in  four  days  after  a  good, 
deep,  clean  and  careful  ploughing,  especially  in  hot 
weather,  he  would  have  seen  them  wholly  change 
their  colour,  become  of  a  bright  and  beautiful  green, 
bending  their  leaves  over  the  intervals,  and  growing 
at  the  rate  of  four  inches  in  the  twenty-four  hours. 

183.  The  passage,  to  which  I  have  alluded,  is  of 
so  interesting  a  nature,  and  relates  to  a  matter  of  so 
much  importance,  that  I  shall  insert  it  entire,  and 
also  the  plates,  made  use  of  by  MR.  TULL  to  illus- 
trate his  meaning.     I  shall  not,  as  so  many  others 
have,  take  the  thoughts,  and  send  them  forth  as  my 
own  ;  nor,  like  Mr.  JOHN  CHRISTIAN  CURWEN,  steal 
them  from  TULL,  and  give  them,  with  all  the  honour 
belonging  to  them,  to  a  Bishop. 

184.  "  A  Method  how  to  find  the  distance  to  which 
roots  extend  horizontally.     A  piece,   or  plot,  dug 
and  made  fine,  in  whole  hard  ground  [Plate  II. 
Fig.  1.1  the  end  A.  2  feet,   the  end  B.  12  feet,  the 
length  of  the  piece  20  yards  ;  the  figures  in  the  mid- 
dle of  it  are  20  Turnips,  sown  early  and  well  hoed. 
The  manner  of  this  hoeing  must  be,  at  first,  near 
the  plants,  with  a  spade,  and  each  <ime  afterwards, 
u  foot  distance,  till  the  earth  be  once  well  dug  ;  and, 
if  weeds  appear  where  it  has  been  so  dug,  hoe  them 
out  shallow  with  the  hand-hoe.     But,  dig   all  the 
piece  next  the  out-lines  deep   every  time,  that  it 
may  be  the  finer  for  the  roots  to  enter,  when  they 
are  permitted  to  come  thither.     If  the  Turnips  be 


THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 


91  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

all  bigger,  as  they  stand  nearer  to  the  end  B,  it  is  a 
proof  they  all  extend  to  the  outside  of  the  piece, 
and  the  Turnip  20,  will  appear  to  draw  nourish- 
ment from  six  foot  distance  from  its  centre.  But  if 
the  Turnips  16,  17,  18,  19,  20,  acquire  no  greater 
bulk  than  the  Turnip  15,  it  will  be  clear,  that  their 
roots  extend  no  farther  than  those  of  the  Turnip  15 
does  ;  which  is  but  about  4  foot.  By  this  method 
the  distance  of  the  extent  of  roots  of  any  plant,  may 
be  discovered. — There  is  also  another  way  to  find 
the  length  of  roots,  by  making  a  long  narrow  trench, 
at  the  distance  you  expect  they  will  extend  to,  and 
fill  it  with  salt ;  if  the  plant  be  killed  by  the  salt,  it 
is  certain  that  some  of  the  roots  enter  it. 

185.  "  What  put  me  upon  trying  this  method  was 
an  observation  of  two  lands,  or  ridges  (See  Plate 
II.  Fig.  2.)  drilled  with  Turnips  in  rows,  a  foot 
asunder,  and  very  even  in  them  ;  the  ground,  at 
both  ends  and  one  side,  was  hard  and  unploughed. 
The  Turnips  not  being  hoed  were  very  poor,  small, 
and  yellow,  except  the  three  outside  rows  bed 
which  stood  next  to  the  land  (or  Ridge)  £,  which 
land,  being  ploughed  and  harrowed,  at  the  time  the 
land  A  ought  to  have  been  hoed,  gave  a  dark  flou- 
rishing colour  to  these  three  rows  ;  and  the  Turnips 
in  the  row  d,  which  stood  farthest  off  from  the  new 
ploughed  land  E,  received  so  much  benefit  from  it, 
as  to  grow  twice  as  big  as  any  of  the  more  distant 
rows.  The  row  c  being  a  foot  nearer  to  the  new 
ploughed  land,  became  twice  as  large  as  those  in  d, 
but  the  row  &,  which  was  next  to  the  land  JG,  grew 
much  larger  yet.  JF  is  a  piece  of  hard  whole 
ground,  of  about  two  perch  in  length,  and  about  two 
or  three  foot  broad,  lying  betwixt  those  two  lands, 
which  had  not  been  ploughed  that  year  ;  it  was  re- 
markable, that  during  the  length  of  this  interjacenr 


III.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  96 

hard  ground,  the  rows  bed  were  as  small  and  yel- 
low as  any  in  the  land.  The  Turnips  in  the  row 
<f,  about  three  foot  distant  from  the  land  E,  receiv- 
ing a  double  increase,  proves  they  had  as  much 
nourishment  from  the  land  E  as  from  the  land  A, 
wherein  they  stood,  which  nourishment  was  brought 
by  less  than  half  the  number  of  roots  of  each  of 
these  Turnips.  In  their  own  land  they  must  have 
extended  a  yard  all  round,  else  they  could  not  have 
reached  the  land  £,  wherein  it  is  probable  these 
few  roots  went  more  than  another  yard,  to  give  each 
Turnip  as  much  increase  as  all  the  roots  had  done 
in  their  own  land.  Except  that  it  will  hereafter 
appear,  that  the  new  nourishment  taken  at  the  ex- 
tremities of  the  roots  in  the  land  £,  might  enable 
the  plants  to  send  out  more  new  roots  in  their  own 
land,  and  receive  something  more  from  thence.  The 
row  c  being  twice  as  big  as  the  row  d,  must  be  sup- 
posed to  extend  twice  as  far  ;  and  the  row  Z>,  four 
times  as  far,  in  proportion  as  it  was  of  a  bulk  quad- 
ruple to  the  row  d." 

186.  Thus,  then,  it  is  clear,  that  tillage  amongst 
growing  plants  is  a  great  thing.     Not  only  is  it  of 
great  benefit  to  the  plants ;  not  only  does  it  greatly 
augment  the  amount  of  the  Crop,  and  make  it  of 
the  best  quality  ;  but,  it  prepares  the  ground   for 
another  crop.    If  a  summer  fallow  be  good  for  the 
land,   here  is  a  summer  fallow ;  if  the  ploughing 
between  Indian  Corn  prepares  the  land  for  wheat, 
the  digging  between  cabbages  and  other  crops  will, 
of  course  prepare  the  land  for  succeeding  crops. 

187.  Watering'  plants,  though   so  shongly  re- 
commended  in  English  Gardening  Books,  and  so 
much  in  practice,  is  a  thing  of  very  doubtful  utility 
in  any  case,  and,  in  most  cases,  of  positive  injury. 
A  country  often  endures   present  suffering   from 


9<*  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap, 

long  drought ;  but.  even  if  all  the  gardens  and  all 
the  fields  could,  in  such  a  case,  be  watered  with  a 
watering  pot,  I  much  question,  whether  it  would 
be  beneficial  even  to  the  crops  of  the  dry  season 
itself.  It  is  not,  observe,  rain  water  that  you  can 
one  time  out  of  a  thousand,  water  with.  And,  to 
nourish  plants,  the  water  must  be  prepared  in 
clouds  and  mists  and  dews.  Observe  this.  Besides, 
when  rain  comes,  the  earth  is  prepared  for  it  by 
that  state  of  the  air,  which  precedes  rain,  and 
which  makes  all  things  damp,  and  slackens  and 
loosens  the  earth,  and  disposes  the  roots  and  leaves 
for  the  reception  of  the  rain.  To  pour  water, 
therefore,  upon  plants,  or  upon  the  ground  where 
they  are  growing,  or  where  seeds  are  sown,  is 
never  of  much  use,  and  is  generally  mischievous 
for,  the  air  is  dry  ;  the  sun  comes  immediately  and 
bakes  the  ground,  and  vegetation  is  checked,  rather 
than  advanced,  by  the  operation.  The  best  pro- 
tector against  frequent  drought  is  frequent  digging, 
or,  in  the  fields,  ploughing,  and  always  deep. 
Hence  will  arise  &  fermentation  and  dews.  The 
ground  will  have  moisture  in  it,  in  spite  of  al 
drought,  which  the  hard,  unmoved  ground  will  not 
But  always  dig  or  plough  in  dry  weather,  and,  the 
drier  the  weather,  the  deeper  you  ought  to  go,  and 
the  finer  you  ought  to  break  the  earth.  When 
plants  are  covered  by  lights,  or  are  in  a  house,  or 
are  covered  with  cloths  in  the  night  time,  they  may 
need  watering,  and,  in  such  cases,  must  have  it 
given  them  by  hand. 

188.  I  shall  conclude  this  Chapter  with  observ 
ing  on  what  I  deem  a  vulgar  error,  and  an  error, 
too,  which  sometimes  produces  inconvenience  It 
is  believed,  and  stated,  that  the  ground  grows  tired, 
in  time,  of  the  same  sort  of  plant ;  and  that,  if  it 


III.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER  97 

he,  year  after  year,  cropped  with  the  same  sort  of 
plant,  the  produce  will  be  small,  and  the  quality 
inferior  to  what  it  was  at  first.  Mr.  TULL  has 
most  satisfactorily  proved,  both  by  fact  and  argu- 
ment, that  this  is  not  true.  And  I  will  add  this 
fact,  that  Mr.  MISSING,  a  Barrister,  living  in  the 
Parish  of  Titchneld,  in  Hampshire,  in  England, 
and  who  was  a  most  excellent  and  kind  neighbour 
of  mine,  has  a  border  under  a  south  wall,  on  which 
he  and  his  father  before  him,  have  grown  early 
peas,  every  year,  for  more  than  forty  years  ;  and, 
if,  at  any  time,  they  had  been  finer  than  they  were 
every  one  year  of  the  four  or  five  years  that  I  saw 
them,  they  must  have  been  something  very  extra- 
ordinary ;  for,  in  those  years  (the  last  four  or  five 
of  the  more  than  forty)  they  were  as  fine,  and  as 
full  bearing,  as  any  that  I  ever  saw  in  England. 

189.  Before  I    entirely  quitted    the    subject  of 
Cultivation,  there   would  be  a  few  remarks  to  be 
made  upon  the  means  of  preventing  the  depreda 
tions  of  vermin,  some  of  which  make  their  attack* 
on  the  seed,  others  on  the  roots,  others  on  the  stem, 
others  on  the  leaves  and  blossoms,  and  others  on 
the  fruit ;  but,  as  I  shall  have  to  be  very  particular 
on  this  subject  in  speaking  of  fruits,  I  defer  it  till 
I  come  to  the  Chapter  on  Fruits. 

190.  Having  now  treated  of  the  Situation,  Soil, 
Fencing,  and  Laying  out  of  Gardens  ;  on  the  mak- 
ing and  managing  of  Hot-Beds  and  Green-Houses  ; 
and  having  given  some  directions  as  to  Propagation 
and  Cultivation  in  general ;  I  next  proceed  to  give 
Alphabetical  Lists  of  the  several  sorts  of  plants, 
and  to   speak  of  the  proper  treatment  for  each, 
under   the   three   heads,    Vegetables  and   Herbs, 
Fruits;  and  Flowers. 


98  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

CHAPTER  IV. 

VEGETABLES    AND    HERBS. 

191.  THE  word,  VEGETABLES,  is  not,  as  was  ob- 
served  in  Paragraph  5,  quite  properly  used   here. 
This  Chapter  treats  of  the  things  cultivated  ia  the 
garden  to  be  eaten  at  our  tables  as  food  ;  and,  they 
are  Vegetables ;  but,  a   tree  is   also  a  vegetable  ; 
and  such  is  an  herb,  or  a  flower.    Therefore,  as  a 
distinctive  appellation,  the  word,  vegetables,  is  not 
strictly  proper.     But,  it  is  the  word  we  use  to  dis- 
tinguish this  class  of  the  products  of  the  earth  from 
others  ;  and,  therrfore,  I  use  it  upon  this  occasion. 
HERBS  are  usually  placed  as  a  class  separate  from 
Vegetables ;  but,  while  some  of  them  are  merely 
medicinal,  like  Pennyroyal,  others  are  used,  not 
only  in  medicine  and  in  soups,  but  also  eaten  in 
salads.      Therefore,  it  appeared  to  be  best  to  bring 
into  this  one  alphabetical  lists,  all  plants  usually 
grown  in  a  garden,  except  such  as  come  under  tho 
".lie  heads  of  Fruits,  and  Flowers. 

192.  ARTICHOKE.— A  plant  little   cultivated 
in  America,   but  very  well  worthy  of  cultivation. 
In  its  look  it  very  much  resembles  a  thistle  of  the 
big-blossomed  kind.     It  sends  up  a  seed  stalk,  and 
it  blows,  exactly  like  the  thistle  that  we  see  in  the 
Arms  of  Scotland.     It  is,  indeed,  a  thistle  upon  a 
gigantic  scale.     The  parts  that  are  eaten  are,  the 
lower  end  of  the  thick  leaves  that  envelope  the  seed, 
and  the  bottom  out  of  which  those  leaves  imme- 
diately grow.     The  whole  of  the  head,  before  the 
bloom  begins  to  appear,  is  boiled,   the  pod  leaves 
are  pulled  off  by  the  eater,  one  or  two  at  a  time, 
and  dipped  in  butter,  with  a  little  pepper  and  salt, 
ihe  mealy  part  is  stripped  off  by  the  teeth,  and  the 


IV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  99 

rest  of  the  leaf  put  aside,  as  we  do  the  stem  of  as- 
paragus. The  bottom,  when  all  the  leaves  are  thus 
disposed  of,  is  eaten  with  knife  and  fork.  The 
French,  who  make  salads  of  almost  every  garden 
vegetable,  and  of  not  a  few  of  the  plants  of  the 
field,  eat  the  artichoke  in  salad.  They  gather  the 
heads,  when  not  much  bigger  round  than  a  dollar, 
and  eat  the  lower  ends  of  the  leaves  above  men- 
tioned raw,  dipping  them  first  in  oil,  vinegar,  salt 
and  pepper ;  and,  in  this  way,  they  are  very  good. 
Artichokes  are  propagated  from  seed,  or  from  off- 
sets. If  by  the  former,  sow  the  seed  in  rows  a 
foot  apart,  as  soon  as  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground. 
Thin  the  plants  to  a  foot  apart  in  the  row  ;  and,  in 
the  fall  of  the  year,  put  out  the  plants  in  clumps  of 
four,  in  rows,  three  feet  apart,  and  the  rows  six 
feet  asunder.  They  will  produce  their  fruit  the 
next  year.  When  winter  approaches,  earth  the 
roots  well  up  ;  and,  before  the  frost  sets  in,  cover 
all  well  over  with  litter  from  the  yard  or  stable. 
Open  at  the  breaking  up  of  the  frost ;  dig  all  the 
ground  well  between  the  rows  ;  level  the  earth 
down  from  the  plants.  You  will  find  many  young 
ones,  or  offsets,  growing  out  from  the  sides.  Pull 
these  off,  and,  if  you  want  a  new  plantation,  put 
them  out,  as  you  did  the  original  plants.  They 
will  bear,  though  later  than  the  old  ones,  that 
same  year. — As  to  sorts  of  this  plant,  there  are 
two,  but  they  contain  no  difference  of  any  conse- 
quence :  one  has  its  head,  or  fruit  pod,  round,  and 
the  other,  rather  conical.  As  to  the  quantity  for  a 
family,  one  row  across  one  of  the  plats  will  be  suf- 
ficient.— For  Jerusalem  Artichoke,  see  Jerusalem. 
193.  ASPARAGUS.— Were  I  writing  to  Nova 
Scotians,  I  ought  not  to  omit  to  give  instructions  as 
to  which  end  of  the  Asparagus  the  eater  ought  to 


100  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  Chap 

use ;  for,  I  know  a  gentleman  of  that  country,  who; 
being  at  New  York,  on  his  first  trip  from  home, 
began  eating  at  the  stem  in  place  of  the  point. 
Writing,  as  I  now  do,  to  those,  whose  country 
produces,  with  the  least  degree  of  trouble,  the 
finest  Asparagus  that  I  ever  saw,  and  probably  the 
finest  in  the  world,  no  description  of  the  plant,  or 
of  its  uses,  is  necessary.  But,  some  remarks  on 
its  propagation  and  cultivation  are  not  wholly  un- 
necessary ;  for,  though  it  demands  less  trouble  in 
America  than  elsewhere,  it  demands  some  ;  and,  in 
proportion  as  it  is  valuable  and  esteemed,  it  is  de- 
sirable that  the  means  of  procuring  it  should  be 
well  and  generally  understood. — It  is  propagated 
from  seed.  Gather  the  seed,  when  it  is  dead  ripe. 
Sow  it  thinly  in  drills  a  foot  asunder,  and  two 
inches  deep,  three  weeks,  or  about,  before  the  frost 
sets  in.  Press  the  earth  well  down  upon  the  seed 
and,  as  soon  as  the  frost  sets  in,  but  not  before, 
cover  the  ground  with  muck,  or  litter,  a  foot  deep, 
and  lay  some  boards,  or  poles,  to  prevent  its  blow- 
ing off.  As  soon  as  the  frost  breaks  up  in  the 
spring,  take  off'  the  litter ;  and  you  will  have  the 
plants  quickly  up.  (See  Paragraph  159.)  When 
the  plants  are  fairly  up,  thin  them  to  four  inches 
asunder ;  for,  they  will  be  four  times  as  strong  at 
this  distance  as  if  they  stood  close.  Keep  them 
clean,  and  hoe  deeply  between  them  all  the  sum- 
mer.— To  have  beds  of  Asparagus,  there  are  two 
ways  of  going  to  work :  first,  sowing  the  seed  in 
the  beds,  at  once  ;  and,  second,  making  the  beds, 
and  removing  the  plants  into  them.  It  is  desirable 
lo  have  the  beds  about  four  feet  wide,  that  you  may 
cut  the  asparagus  by  going  in  the  paths  between 
them,  and  not  trample  the  beds.  As  to  the  first 
method,  if  the  soil  have  a  dry  bottom,  trench  in  the 


IV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  101 

manner  described  in  Paragraph  20  ;  but,  in  this 
case,  where  there  is  a  root  always  penetrating 
downward,  do  not  content  yourself  with  a  clean 
trenc-h  two  feet  deep  ;  but,  'before  you  turn  your  top 
earth  into  this  trench,  put  some  good  manure  into 
i*,  and  dig  it  into  this  bottom  part ;  and  then  you 
will  have  manure  at  two  feet  and  nine  inches  from 
the  surface.  Your  ground  being  ready,  lay  out 
your  beds,  four  feet  wide,  with  a  path  two  feet  wide 
between  each  two  beds.  In  the  fall,  having  made 
all  the  ground  right  strong  with  manure,  draw  the 
earth  to  six  inches  deep  from  the  top  of  the  beds 
into  the  paths,  which  will  then  form  high  ridges. 
Then  draw  your  drills  afoot  apart,  and  sow  your 
seed,  as  before  directed.  When  they  are  up,  in 
rpring,  thin  them  to  a  foot  apart.  Thus  you  will 
have  them  a  foot  apart  all  over  the  bed.  Keep  the 
plants  clean  all  summer  ;  and,  when  the  haulm  is 
yellow  in  the  fall,  cut  them  off  near,  or  close,  to 
the  ground  ;  but,  let  the  haulm  be  quite  dead  first ; 
ret,  do  it  before  the  frost  actually  sets  in.  When 
you  have  cut  off  the  haulm,  lay  some  litter  upon 
the  bed  till  spring,  to  prevent  the  frost  from  being 
too  long  coming  out  of  the  ground  in  spring. 
When  the  frost  breaks  up,  throw  some  wood  ashes, 
or,  some  other  manure  about  an  inch  deep  over  the 
bed,  having  first  loosened  the  top  of  the  bed  with 
a  fork.  Upon  this  manure,  throw  earth  over  the 
bed,  out  of  the  paths,  three  inches  thick,  and  break 
it  very  fine  at  the  time.  In  the  fall,  cut  down  the 
haulm  again  as  before  ;  repeat  the  winter  operation 
of  littering;  and,  in  the  spring  again  fork  up,  put 
on  ashes  or  good  mould,  and  the  other  three  inches 
deep  of  earth  out  of  the  paths.  Thus  you  bring  the 
beds  to  be  an  inch  or  two  higher  than  the  paths  ; 
and  this  year,  if  vour  work  have  all  been  well  done, 
9* 


102  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 

you  may  have  some  asparagus  to  eat.  1  ic  next 
fall,  and  every  succeeding  fall,  cut  down  the  haulm 
and  cover  with  litter  as  before  ;  and,  in  the  spring, 
of  this  third  year,  put  on  ashes  again,  or  other  fine 
manure,  and  throw  over  the  beds  the  earth  that 
will  come  out  of  the  paths  dug  six  inches  deep. 
This  will  make  the  paths  six  inches  lower  than  the 
beds,  and  that  is  a  great  convenience  for  weeding, 
and  for  cutting  the  Asparagus.  After  this,  you 
are  to  cut  down  the  haulm  in  the  fall,  cover  with 
litter  during  winter,  fork  up  and  occasionally  ma- 
nure in  the  spring,  to  keep  the  ground  constantly 
free  from  weeds,  to  dig  the  paths  up  every  fall,  and 
keep  them  clear  from  weeds  in  summer. — The 
second  method  of  making  the  beds  is,  to  begin  with 
plants,  instead  of  seed.  The  plants  (raised  as 
above  stated)  may  be  planted  in  the  beds  at  one 
year  old,  or  older,  if  it  so  happen.  Plant  them  at 
the  same  depth  that  is  pointed  out  for  depositing 
the  seed.  And,  in  all  other  respects,  proceed  as 
in  the  case  of  a  bed  begun  with  seed.  As  to  the 
time  of  beginning  to  cut,  some  say  the  third  year, 
some  the  fourth,  and  some  even  the  fifth.  There 
can  be  no  fixed  time  ;  for,  so  much  depends  on  the 
soil  and  treatment.  Asparagus,  like  other  things, 
ought  to  be  used  when  it  comes  in  perfection,  and 
not  before. — All  that  has  here  been  said  proceeds 
upon  the  supposition  that  the  soil  has  a  dry  bottom. 
If  a  wet  bottom,  sow,  or  plant,  at  the  top  of  the 
ground,  and,  in  all  other  respects  proceed  as  in  the 
case  of  a  dry  bottom  ;  except,  that  the  earth  to 
cover  the  bed  with  must,  time  after  time,  be  dug 
out  of  the  paths,  which  will,  at  last,  make  the 
paths  into  ditches,  three  feet  deep  from  the  tops  of 
the  beds.  By  these  means  the  roots  of  the  plants 
will  be  kept  some  years  longer  from  reaching  the 


IV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  i03 

cold,  sour  soil,  at  the  bottom  ;  for,  whenever  they 
reach  that,  the  plants,  like  all  others,  cease  to  flou- 
rish, and  begin  to  decay. — As  to  the  time  that  as- 
paragus  beds  will  last,  that  depends  on  the  soil. 
Having  a  dry  bottom  and  good  management,  they 
will  probably  last  three  generations,  and  if  that  be 
not  enough  to  compensate  the  trouble  of  making 
them,  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  compensation. 
The  general  cause  of  the  decay  of  Asparagus-beds 
is,  negligence ;  and,  particularly,  the  want  of  at- 
tention to  keep  them  clear  of  weeds,  which,  without 
doubt,  are  the  greatest  enemies  of  the  plants. 
These  send  their  roots  down  deep  ;  but,  they  rely 
also  on  the  ground  at  the  surface.  The  Lucerne, 
which  will  send  its  roots  down  thirty  feet  into  a 
dry  bottom,  and  will  live  in  vigour  for  an  age,  if 
kept  clean  at  top  ;  will,  though  in  the  best  and  most 
suitable  soil  in  the  world,  perish  in  a  few  years,  if 
grass  and  weeds  be  suffered  to  grow  amongst  it  on 
the  surface.  Sea-sand,  where  it  can  be  had,  is  as 
good  as  ashes,  except  the  beds  are  very  near  the 
sea ;  and  there  it  is  of  little  use. — With  regard  to 
sorts,  I  do  n-ot  know  that  there  is  any  difference, 
except  such  as  climate  produces.  It  is  very  cer- 
tain, that,  to  whatever  cause  owing,  the  Asparagus 
here,  though  so  little  care  is,  in  general,  taken  of 
it,  is  far  superior  to  that  in  England.  From  our 
frequently  meeting  with  it  at  a  great  distance  from 
all  houses,  there  is  reason  to  suppose,  that  it  is  a 
natural  weed  of  the  country ;  and,  therefore,  it 
may  differ  from  the  English  sort,  as  the  Charlock 
and  some  other  weeds  do.  In  England  the  Char- 
lock has  a  leaf  like  that  of  the  white  turnip  ;  here 
it  has  a  leaf  the  colour  of  that  of  an  early  York 
cabbage  ;  that  is  to  say,  of  a  blue-green  colour. 
There  may  be  a  difference  between  the  Asparagus 


101  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 

of  America  arid  that  of  Europe  :  at  any  rate,  I 
will  ascertain  the  fact ;  for  I  will  carry  some  seed 
to  England. — As  to  the  space  which  the  beds 
ought  to  occupy,  that  must  depend  on  the  size 
of  the  family,  who  are  to  eat  the  Asparagus. 
Plenty,  however,  is  always  a  blessing  when  the 
commodity  is  a  good  one.  About  six  beds  across 
one  of  the  Plats  will  be  sufficient  for  any  family. 
They  might  be  at  the  west  end  of  Plat,  No.  6, 
that  being  the  warmest. — Asparagus  may  be  had 
in  winter  with  the  greatest  facility.  There  are 
but  few  things  that  are  worth  the  trouble  of  a  hot- 
bed for  the  purpose  of  having  them  to  eat  in  their 
opposite  season  ;  but,  Asparagus  is  worth  it.  And 
this  is  the  way  to  have  it  for  the  table,  even  in  Feb- 
ruary, that  month  of  snow  and  of  north-westers, 
Sow  some  seed  in  the  garden,  in  the  manner  before 
described,  the  rows  a  foot  asunder,  and  the  plants 
four  inches  apart  in  the  row.  Keep  them  clean, 
and  manure  them  the  first  year.  Cut  the  haulm  of! 
in  the  fall.  Do  not  cover  them  during  winter.  In 
the  spring  fork  up  the  ground,  manure  it  again  ; 
and,  in  the  fall  cut  off  the  haulm  again.  Just  be 
fore  the  frost  sets  in,  take  up  as  many  plants  as  you 
will  want  for  your  hot-bed.  Dig  each  plant  up 
without  tearing  it  about ;  and  put  them  all  care- 
fully on  a  cellar  floor,  cover  them  over  about  half 
a  foot  thick  with  fresh  ground,  and  lay  some  straw 
upon  that  to  prevent  the  earth  from  drying  too 
much.  In  January  prepare  dung  for  a  hot-bed  ; 
and  make  the  bed  in  the  manner  as  directed  in  Pa 
ragraphs  69  to  74.  When  the  heat  has  sufficiently 
risen,  put  on  earth  as  in  Paragraphs  75  and  7(>. 
Upon  this  earth  put  your  plants,  straightening  out 
their  roots  in  every  direction.  Let  the  crowns  of 
the  roots  be  about  7  inches  apart  all  over  the  bed 


iV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  105 

which,  being  a  bed  four  feet  wide  and  ni  ic  feet 
long,  will  contain  ISO  plants.  Cover  the  plants 
over  with  fine  earth,  so  that  the  surface  of  this 
earth  be  six  inches  above  the  crowns  of  the  plants 
Proceed  as  to  air,  shelter,  and  covering,  in  the  same 
way  as  directed  for  the  cabbage-plants.  In  about 
twelve,  or  fourteen  days,  you  may  begin  to  cut  as- 
paragus for  the  table  ;  and,  if  you  take  proper  care, 
and  keep  your  heat  up  by  a  lining  (see  Paragraph 
93,)  you  may  have  a  regular  supply  for  a  month. 
When  the  plants  have  done  bearing  here,  they  are 
of  no  use,  and  may  be  thrown  away.  Of  all  the 
things  that  are  forced  in  hot-beds,  none  give  so  lit- 
tle trouble  as  Asparagus,  and  none  is  so  well  worth 
great  deal  of  trouble. 

194.  BALM  is  an  herb  purely  medicinal.    A  very 
iittle  of  it  is  sufficient  in   a  garden.     It  is  propa- 
gated from  seed,  or  from  offsets.    When  once  plant- 
ed, the  only  care  required  is  to  see  that  it  does  not 
extend  itself  too  far. 

195.  BASIL  is  a  very  sweet  annual  pot-herb. 
There  are   two   sorts,  the  dwarf  and   the  tall.     It 
should  be   sown  in  very  fine   earth,   and,  if  con- 
venient, under  a  hand-glass.    The  bunches  may  be 
dried  for  winter  use. 

196.  BEAN. — The  only  species  of  bean  much  used 
in  this  country,  is  that  which,  in  England,  is  called 
Kidney-Bean,  and,  in  France,  Haricot.     Of  these 
I  shall  speak  in  the  next  article.     The  Bean  I  here 
mean  is,  what  is  called  by  most  persons  in  America 
the  horse-bean.     In  England  there  are  some  sorts 
of  this  bean  used  for  horses  and  hogs  ;  but  there 
are  several  sorts  used  as  human  food.    It  is,  at  best, 
a  coarse  and  not  very  wholesome   vegetable  ;  yet 
some  people  like  it.     It  is  very  much  eaten  by  the 
country  people,  in  England,  with  tbeir  bacon,  along 


106  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap, 

with  which  it  is  boiled.  There  are  several  sorts  of 
these  garden-beans,  the  best  of  which  is  the  large 
flat-seeded  bean,  called  the  Windsor-Bean.  The 
Long-Pod  is  the  next  best;  and,  though  there  are 
several  others,  these  are  enough  to  mention  here. — 
The  bean  is  difficult  to  raise  here.  It  does  not  like 
dry  and  hot  weather ;  and  it  likes  moist  and  stiff 
land.  If  attempted  to  be  raised  in  America,  it 
should  be  sown  in  the  fall  by  all  means  (see  Para- 
graph 159;)  but,  still  it  is  useless  to  sow,  unless  you 
guard  against  mice.  If  sown  in  the  South  Border, 
where  it  would  be  shaded  and  protected  from  the 
hot  sun,  it  might  do  pretty  well ;  and  the  vegetable 
is  convenient  as  it  follows  immediately  after  the 
early  peas  are  gone. — Ten  rows  of  these  beans 
across  the  South  Border,  four  feet  apart,  and  the 
beans  four  inches  apart,  will  be  enough  for  a  family. 
197.  BEAN  (KIDNEY.)— Endless  is  the  variety 
of  sorts.  Some  are  dwarfs,  some  climbers;  but, 
the  mode  of  propagating  and  cultivating  is  nearly 
the  same  in  all,  except  that  the  dwarfs  require 
smaller  distances  than  the  climbers,  and  that  the 
latter  are  grown  with  poles,  which  the  former  are 
not.  In  this  fine  country  the  seed  is  so  good,  the 
soil  and  climate  so  favourable  to  the  plant,  the  use 
of  the  vegetable  so  general,  the  propagation  and 
cultivation  so  easy,  and  so  well  understood,  that 
little  in  detail  need  be  said  about  them.  I  prefer 
sowing  the  dwarfs  in  rows  to  sowing  them  in  bunches 
or  clumps.  It  is  a  great  object  to  have  them  early, 
and,  they  may  be  had  much  earlier  than  they  usually 
are  with  a  little  pains.  It  is  useless  to  sow  them 
while  the  ground  is  cold  ;  for  they  will  net  grow  til' 
it  be  warm  ;  but,  there  are  means  to  be  used  to  ge» 
them  forwarder  than  the  natural  ground  will  pro 
duce  them.  If  you  have  a  glazed  frame,  or  a  hand 


IV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  107 

glass  or  two,  (see  Paragraph  94,)  use  one  or  the 
other  in  this  case;  but,  if  not,  dig  a  hole  and  put  in 
it,  well-shaken  together,  a  couple  of  wheel-barrows 
full  of  good  hot  dung  ;  and  lay  some  good  rich  mould 
upon  it  six  inches  thick.  Then  lay  on  this  some  c 
the  earliest  sort  of  dwarf-beans.  Put  them  not  more 
than  an  inch  apart,  and  cover  them  with  two  inches 
of  fine  rich  mould.  Bend  some  rods  over  the  whole, 
and  put  the  ends  of  the  rods  in  the  ground ;  and, 
every  evening,  cover  this  sort  of  roof  over  with  a 
bit  of  old  carpet  or  sail-cloth.  In  default  of  these, 
corn-stalks  may  do.  Do  this  when  the  winter  frost 
is  just  got  out  of  the  ground,  or  soon  after.  The 
beans  will  be  up  in  a  week's  time  ;  and,  in  about  a 
fortnight  afterwards,  they  will  be  fit  to  remove. 
The  place  for  them  is  under  a  wall,  a  paling,  or  a 
hedge,  facing  the  South.  Prepare  the  ground  well 
and  make  it  rich.  Take  a  spade  and  carry  away  a 
part  of  the  beans  at  a  time,  and  plant  them  at  six 
inches  asunder  with  as  much  earth  about  the  roots 
as  you  can.  Plant  them  a  little  deeper  than  they 
stood  in  the  bed.  They  are  very  juicy,  and  may 
have  a  little  water  given  them  as  soon  as  planted. 
Shade  them  the  first  day,  if  the  weather  be  warm 
and  the  sun  out;  and  cover  them  every  night  till 
all  frosts  be  over.  This  is  easily  done,  if  against 
any  sort  of  fence,  by  putting  boards,  one  edge  upon 
the  ground  and  the  other  leaning  against  the  fence ; 
but,  if  you  have  no  fence,  and  have  to  plant  in  the 
open  ground,  it  will  be  best  to  plant  in  clumps,  and 
flower-pots  put  over  the  clumps  will  do  for  a  cover- 
ing. In  Long  Island  a  clod  or  two,  or  a  brick  or 
two,  laid  by  the  side  of  the  clumps,  will  hold  up  a 
large  horse-foot  fish  shell,  which  is  an  excellent  co- 
vering-. On  the  first  of  June,  1817,  I  saw  a  farmer 
at  South  Hempstead,  covering  his  beans  with  bur* 


108  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

dock  leaves,  while  there  were  hundreds  of  horse- 
foot  shells  in  his  yard.  The  dock-leaf  would  wither 
in  the  day.  A  fresh  supply  must  te  had  for  the 
next  night.  This  circumstance  shows,  however, 
how  desirous  people  are  to  get  this  vegetable  early  ; 
and,  by  the  method  that  I  have  pointed  out,  it  may 
be  had  fifteen  days,  at  least,  earlier  than  it  generally 
is. — As  to  the  main  crop,  it  is  by  no  means  advisa- 
ble to  sow  very  early.  If  you  do,  the  seed  lies  long' 
in  the  ground,  which  is  always  injurious  to  this 
plant.  The  plants  come  up  feebly.  The  cold  wea- 
ther, that  occasionally  comes,  makes  them  look  yel- 
low ;  and  they,  then,  never  produce  a  fine  crop. — 
Of  the  various  sorts  of  pole-beans  one  sowing  it 
enough  ;  for,  if  you  gather  as  the  beans  become  fit 
for  use,  they  continue  bearing  all  through  the  sum- 
mer, especially  the  Lima-bean,  which  delights  in 
heat,  arid  for  which  no  weather  can  be  too  dry ;  and 
which  should  never  be  sown  till  the  ground  be  right 
warm.  The  Dwarf  sorts  may  be  sown  all  summer, 
from  the  time  that  the  ground  becomes  warm  to 
within  seven  weeks  of  the  time  that  the  little  frosts 
begin  in  the  fall ;  for,  they  will,  at  this  season,  pro 
duce,  for  eating  green,  in  six  weeks  from  the  day  of 
sowing.  I  sowed  them  on  the  15th  of  August,  and 
had  several  gatherings  to  eat  green  before  the  2d  of 
October  when  the  first  frost  came.  They  were  not 
cut  up  by  the  frost  till  the  17th  of  October;  and 
they  kept  bearing  till  they  were. — A  row  or  two 
sown  every  fortnight,  across  one  of  the  Plats  (see 
Paragraph  60)  will  keep  any  family,  however  large, 
well  supplied.  And,  perhaps  twenty  rows,  across 
one  of  the  Plats,  for  pole-beans  of  all  the  sorts  that 
are  desired,  will  be  more  than  sufficient.  It  is  best 
to  sow  several  sorts  of  these  ;  for  some  bear  early 
and  some  later  than  others. — As  to  the  sorts  of  Kid- 


IY.J  THE    AMERICAN    GARDUNfcU.  109 

ney-beans,  they  are,  as  T  observed  before,  almost 
endless  in  number.  I  will,  however,  name  a  few : 
the  Dun,  or  Draft-coloured  dwarf  bean,  is  the  earli- 
est. The  same  ground  will  bear  and  ripen  two 
crops  in  one  year,  the  last  from  the  seed  of  the  first 
The  Yellow  ;  the  Black;  the  Speckled ;  the  Painted, 
white  and  red  :  these  are  all  dwarfs  ;  but  there  are 
a  great  many  others.  Amongst  runners,  or  pole- 
beans,  there  are  the  Scarlet-blossom,  the  seed  of 
which  is  red  and  black  and  the  seed-pod  rough 
There  is  a  White  bean  precisely  like  the  former, 
except  that  the  bean  and  blossom  are  white.  The 
Case-knife  bean,  which,  in  England,  is  called  the 
Dutch-runner :  this  is  the  best  bean  of  all  to  eat 
green.  Then  there  is  the  Cranberry-bean  of  vari- 
ous colours  as  to  seed.  The  Lima-bean,  which  is 
never  eaten  green  (that  is,  the  pod  is  never  eaten,) 
and  which  is  sometimes  called  the  butter-bean,  has 
a  broad,  flat  and  thin  seed  of  a  yellowish-white  co- 
lour. This  bean  must  never  be  sown  till  the  ground 
is  right  warm.  The  other  sorts  will  grow  and  bear 
well  in  England ;  but  this  sort  will  not.  I  raised 
good  and  ripe  Indian  Corn  at  Botley  ;  but,  I  never 
could  bring  a  Lima-bean  to  perfection,  though  I  put 
it  in  the  hottest  spot  I  could  find,  and  though  cu- 
cumbers produced  very  well  in  the  natural  ground 
at  a  yard  or  two  from  it. — For  the  raising  of  dwarf 
beans  on  a  large  scale,  see  Paragraphs  163  and  164. 
The  pole-beans  may  be  raised  in  the  same  way, 
only  with  larger  spaces  (six  feet  perhaps)  between 
the  rows,  and  without  any  poles  at  all.  The  seed 
for  sale  is  raised  in  this  way  even  in  England, 
where  the  climate  is  so  cold  and  wet  compared  to 
this.  The  poling  is  a  great  plague  and  expense ; 
and,  if  large  quantities  be  raised,  it  may  be  dis- 
pensed with  :  nay,  it  may  be  dispensed  with  in  a 
10 


'HO  THE    AMERICAN     GARDENER.  [Chap 

-garden  ;  for  poles  look  ugly  there  ;  they  intercept 
the  view  ;  and  the  addition  they  make  to  the  crop 
is  not  a  compensation  even  for  ill  look,  especially 
under  this  bright  sun,  where  the  ground  is  almost 
constantly  dry. — Let  it  be  observed,  that  every  sort 

•  of  Kidney-bean  must  have  rich  ground,  to  produce 
a  large  crop. 

198.  BEET.— This  vegetable,  which  is  little  used 
in  England,  is  here  in  as  common  use  as  carrots  are 
there.  It  should  be  sown  in  the  fall  (see  Paragraph 
159  ;)  but,  if  not,  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  free  from 
frost,  and  is  dry,  in  the  spring.  The  rows  a  foot 
.apart,  and  the  plants  eight  inches  apart  in  the  rows. 
In  order  to  hasten  the  seed  up  in  the  spring  (if  sown 
then)  soak  it  four  days  and  nights  in  rain  water  be- 
fore you  sow  it.  Put  it  two  inches  deep,  cover  it 
well,  and  press  the  earth  hard  down  upon  it.  Sow 
the  seed  pretty  thick  all  along  the  drill;  and,  when 
the  plants  come  up,  thin  them  to  eight  inches  apart. 
Hoe  between  the  plants  frequently  :  but,  not  very 

•  deep  ;  because  these  tap-rooted  things  are  apt  to 
fork  if  the  ground  be  made  loose   very  low  down 
while  they  are  growing. — There  are    yellow  and 
white  Beets,  as  well  as  red ;  but  the  red  is  the  true 
kind :  the  others  are  degenerate.     There  is,  how- 
ever,  round  or  turnip-rooted,  red  beet,  which  is 
^equally  good  with   the   tap-rooted  red-beet. — The 
ground  should  be  rich,  but  not  fresh  dunged.    Ashes 

'of  wood,  or  compost  mould,  is  best;  and  the  dig- 
ging ought  to  be  very  deep  and  all  the  clods  ought 
'to  be  broken  into  fine  earth  ;  because  the  clods  turn 
'the  point  of  the  root  aside,  and  make  the  tap  short, 
or  forked  Fresh  dung,  which,  of  course,  lies  in 
unequal  quantities  in  the  ground,  invites  the  tap 
root,  or  some  of  the  side  roots  to  it,  and  thus  causes 
a  short  or  forked  beet,  which,  for  several  reasons, 


IV. I  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  Ill 

is  not  so  good  as  a  long  and  smooth  one. —  As  to 
the  preserving  of  beets  during  the  winter,  it  is  well 
known,  that  the  way  is  to  put  them  in  a  dry  cellar, 
with  dry  sand  between  them,  or  indeed,  without 
sand  or  any  thing  at  all  between  them.  They  may, 
if  in  large  quantities,  and  not  wanted  till  spring,  be 
preserved  out  of  doors,  thus  :  Take  them  up  three 
weeks  before  the  hard  frost  is  to  come.  Cut  of! 
their  leaves  ;  let  them  lay  two  or  three  days  upon 
straw,  or  boards,  to  dry  in  the  sun  ;  then  lay  a  little 
straw  upon  the  ground,  and,  ia  a  fine  dry  day,  place 
ten  bushels  of  beets  (picking  out  all  the  cut  or 
bruised  ones)  upon  it  in  a  conical  form.  Put  a  lit- 
tle straw  smoothly  over  the  heap  ;  then  cover  the 
whole  with  six  or  eight  inches  of  earth  ;  and  place 
a  green  turf  at  the  top  to  prevent  the  earth  from  be- 
ing washed,  by  rain,  from  the  point,  before  the  frost 
set  in.  All  the  whole  heap  will  freeze  during  the 
winter ;  but,  the  frost  will  not  injure  the  beets,  nor 
\vill  it  injure  Carrots,  preserved  in  the  same  way. — 
If  you  have  more  than  ten  bushels,  make  another 
heap,  or  other  heaps ;  for  fear  of  heating  before 
ihe  frost  comes.  When  that  comes,  all  is  safe  till 
spring  ;  and,  it  is  in  the  spring,  that  season  of  scar- 
city, for  which  we  ought  to  provide.  How  many 
bushels  of  beets  are  flung  about  and  wasted  in  the 
fall,  the  smallest  of  which  would  be  a  treat  in  the 
month  of  May  ! — As  to  the  quantity  to  be  raised  for 
a  family,  eighteen  rows,  planted  as  above,  across 
one  of  the  Plats  (little  more  than  two  perches  of 
ground)  will  produce  812  beets,  or  nearly  four  for 
each  day,  from  the  first  of  November  to  the  last  of 
May ;  and,  if  they  are  of  the  size  that  they  ought 
to  be,  here  are  much  more  than  enough.  Beets  may 
be  transplanted,  and  will,  in  that  way,  get  to  a 
good  size.  See  Transplanting,  Paragraph  169, 


112  THE    AMERICAN    CARDENEK  [Chap 

199.  BROCOLI.— This  plant  is  not  much  culti- 
vated in  America  ;  and,  indeed,  scarcely  at  all.  In 
England  it  is  grown  in  great  quantities,  especially 
near  London.  It  is  there  sown  in  the  spring,  and 
eaten  in  the  fall  and  during  the  winter,  even  unti1 
spring.  It  is  of  the  nature  of  the  Cauliflower 
which  see.  One  sort  has  a  whitish  head,  and  IP 
like  a  cauliflower,  except  that  the  white  is  a  yellow- 
white.  Another  sort  has  a  purple  head  ;  and  there 
is  another  of  a  greenish  hue.  It  is  cultivated,  in 
all  respects  like  a  Cabbage  (which  see  ;)  but,  as  it 
is  large,  it  must  be  placed  at  wider  distances,  not 
less  than  two  feet  and  a  half  each  way.  If  raised 
very  early  in  the  spring  and  planted  out  in  June, 
and  in  good  ground,  as  cool  as  can  be  got,  it  will 
have  heads  in  October ;  and,  if  any  of  the  plants 
have  not  then  perfected  their  heads,  when  the  hard 
frost  is  coming,  they  may  be  treated  like  those  of 
the  spring-sown  cauliflowers  which  have  not  per- 
fected their  heads  at  this  season. — Fifty  of  this 
plant,  for  the  fall,  may  be  enough  ;  and  they  ought, 
to  be  planted  out  in  the  South  Border  in  order  to 
be  kept  as  cool  as  possible.  The  white  sort  is 
deemed  the  handsomest;  but,  the  others  are  more 
hardy. — To  have  Brocoli  in  the  spring  ;  that  is  to 
say,  in  May  (for  New  York)  is  the  thing  !  The  thing 
may  be  done  ;  for  I  had  some  pretty  good  in  May 
1818. — Sow  in  June.  Transplant  in  July  ;  put  the 
plants  at  2}  feet  apart.  Till  well  between  ;  and 
earth  up  the  stems  of  the  plants  in  August.  They 
will  be  very  tall  and  stout,  in  good  ground,  in  No- 
vember ;  and  a  sharp  frost  or  two  will  not  hurt 
them.  But,  to  keep  them  through  the  winter  is  a 
troublesome  thing.  Nevertheless,  to  have  them  at 
New  York  or  Boston  in  May,  and,  at  Philadelphia 
late  in  April;  to  have  something  little  short  of  a 


IV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  H3 

cauliflower  at  that  season,  is  worth  some  trouble, 
and  even  some  expense ;  for,  at  that  very  season, 
the  people  of  New  York,  are  carrying  homo  wild 
dock  leaves  from  market,  bought  at  three  or  four 
cents  a  handful !  This  is  the  way  to  go  to  work  to 
have  Brocoli  at  this  season.  Five  rows,  across  one 
of  the  Plats  in  the  garden,  will  contain  110  plants. 
The  space  they  will  occupy  will  be  56  feet  long, 
and  10^  feet  wide  from  out-side  row  to  out-side  row. 
Now,  all  this  space  must  have  a  covering-  during 
the  time  that  the  ground  is  completely  locked  up  by 
the  frost.  And  this  is  the  way  to  cover  it.  Before 
the  ground  be  hard  frozen,  put  some  stout  stakes  in 
the  ground  on  both  out-sides  of  the  out-side  rows, 
and  at  about  a  foot  from  the  stems  of  the  plants. 
Let  these  stakes  be  about  a  foot  higher  than  the 
tops  of  the  leaves  of  the  plants  ;  and  that  will  make 
the  stakes  about  four  feet  high.  Let  these  stakes 
(which  should  not  be  less  than  three  inches  through) 
have  SL  fork  at  the  upper  end  to  lodge  a  pole  upon 
to  go  from  stake  to  stake  across  the  plantation. 
That  these  poles  may  not  bend  in  the  middle,  by- 
and-by,  when  the  covering  is  put  on,  put  another 
row  of  forked  stakes  along  the  middle,  or  near  the 
middle  of  the  plantation.  From  out-side  row  of 
stakes  to  out-side  row  of  stakes  will  be  twelve  feet 
and  a  half.  The  stakes  are  to  be  four  feet  asunder 
in  the  long  rows,  and  they  will  be  about  six  feet 
asunder  across  the  plantation.  Lay  stout  poles 
across,  and  let  each  pole  rest  in  the  forks  of  the 
three  stakes.  Then  tie  some  stout  rods  longways 
upon  the  poles,  at  about  nine  inches  from  each 
other.  Then  some  small  rods  across  them  at  nine 
inches  from  each  other.  Then  tie  small  rods  along 
the  sides  and  at  tho  ends  from  slake  to  stake,  nine 
inches  apart,  and  upright  rods  against  these,  nine 
10* 


114  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENEK.  [Chap. 

inches  apart.  Thus  you  have  a  sort  of  net-work 
over  the  whole  plantation.  And,  there  let  it  stand, 
till  the  rains  are  over,  and  until  the  winter  is  fairly 
set  in,  which,  at  New  York,  may  be  about  Christ- 
mas. When  all  is  frozen  hard  up,  cover  close  over 
the  lattice  work  a  foot  thick  with  straw,  at  the  least, 
and  lay  on  something  to  prevent  the  straw  from 
moving.  Then  set  up  straw,  or  corn  stalks,  against 
the  sides  and  the  ends  of  the  erection.  Place  the 
straw  or  stalks  a  foot  thick  at  least,  and  fasten  them 
well  up,  so  as  to  keep  out,  not  the  frost,  but  all 
light  and  all  occasional  thaws  from  entering.  Thus 
let  the  whole  remain  till  the  breaking-  up  of  the 
frost:  and  then  take  all  away.  Do  not  wait  till  the 
frost  is  out  of  the  ground ;  but,  take  away  as  soon 
as  the  grand  breaking  up  comes.  You  will  find 
the  plantation  as  green  as  it  was  when  you  closed 
it  up.  This  will  be  about  the  middle  of  March 
(Long  Island  ;)  and  though  there  will  be  many  and 
sharp  frosts  after  this,  these  will  not  injure  the 
plants.  As  soon  as  the  ground  is  dry  at  top,  hoe 
deep  amongst  the  plants  ;  hoe  again  in  about  ten 
days  ;  and  again  in  another  ten  days  ;  and,  about 
the  first  week  in  May,  or  in  the  second  at  ]atest, 
you  will  begin  to  cut  Brocoli  to  eat.  The  heads 
will  come  in  one  after  another  ;  and,  recollect,  that 
you  have  110  heads,  which  is  nearly  4  a  day  for  a 
month ;  and  this,  you  will  observe,  at  a  season, 
when  people  are  glad  to  buy  dock-leaves  to  eat ! 
When  we  talk  of  trouble,  what  is  trouble  but  la 
bour ;  and  what  is  labour  but  a  thing  to  be  bought  ? 
I  am  supposing  a  case  where  a  gardener  is  kept ; 
and,  pray,  what  has  he  else  to  do  ?  But,  suppose  a 
man  to  be  hired  expressly,  would  he  not  go  to  the 
wood  and  get  the  materials  and  make  the  lattice 
work  in  a  day?  Would  it  take  him  more  than  an 


IV.]  THK    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  115 

other  day  to  lay  on  the  straw  !  Here,  then,  are  two 
dollars;  and,  supposing  the  straw  and  the  stakes 
and  poles  and  rods  to  be  bought,  the  straw  would 
be  nearly  as  good  foi  litter  afterwards,  and  the 
poles,  stakes  and  rods  would  last  for  many  years,  if 
tied  up  in  bundles  and  laid  safely  away  from  winter 
to  winter. 

200.  BURNET  is  a  well  known  grass,  or  cattle 
plant.    It  is  used  by  some  in  salads.    When  bruised, 
or  cut,  it  smells  like  cucumber.     It  is  a  perennial, 
and  a  very  poor  thing. 

201.  CABBAGE. — The  way  to   raise  Cabbage- 
PJants  in  a  hot-bed  has  been  given  in  Paragraphs  77 
to  96. — In  the  open  ground  you  may  put  your  seed 
rows  at  six  inches  distance,  and  put  the  seeds  thin 
in  the  row.    As  soon  as  up,  thin  the  plants  to  three 
inches  in  the  row.     The  next  thing  is  transplant- 
ing ;  and  I  will    speak  of  that  before  I  speak  of 
seasons,  sorts,  and  preserving  during  winter. — Of 
the  preparation  and  state  of  the  ground,  and  of  the 
proper  weather  for  transplanting,  I  have  spoken  in 
Paragraphs    169  to   175.     Read  those   paragraphs 
carefully  again,  and  bear  their  contents  in  mind. 
But,  to  have  fine  cabbages,  of  any  sort,  the  plants 
must  be  twice  transplanted.     First,  they  should  be 
taken  from   the  seed  bed  (where  they  have  been 
sown  in  drills  near  to  each  other,)  and  put  out  into 
fresh -dug,  well  broken  ground,  at  six  inches  apart 
every  way.    This  is  called  pricking  out.    By  stand- 
ing here  about  fifteen    or  twenty  days,   they  get 
straight  and  strong,  stand  erect,  and  have  a  straight 
and  stout  stem.     Out  of  this  plantation  they  come 
nearly  all  of  a  size ;  the  roots  of  all   are  in  the 
same  state  ;  and,  they  strike  quicker  into  the  ground 
where  they  are  to  stand  for  a  crop. — But,  if  you  do 
not,  whether  from  negligence  or  want  of  time,  prick 


116  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER  [Chap 

your  plants  out,  choose  the  strongest,  if  you  do  not 
want  them  all ;  and,  at  any  rate,  do  not  plant  strong 
and  weak  promiscuously,  but  put  each  by  them- 
selves. If  you  do  not  intend  to  prick  out,  leave 
the  plants  thinner  in  the  seed  bed,  and  hoe  deep  be- 
tween them  while  they  stand  there.  Besides  this 
you  may  pass  a  sharp  spade  along  under  the  rows, 
and  cut  off  the  top-roots  ;  for  they  must  be  short- 
ened when  the  plants  are  transplanted.  This,  if 
done  a  week  or  ten  days  before  transplanting  will 
give  the  plants  a  more  bushy  root ;  and  will,  in 
some  measure,  supply  the  place  of  pricking  out. — 
Having  the  plants  ready  for  transplanting  ;  and  hav- 
ing the  ground  and  weather  as  described  in  Para- 
graph 170,  you  proceed  to  your  work,  thus  :  dig  the 
plants  up,  that  is,  loosen  the  ground  under  them 
with  a  spade,  to  prevent  their  being  stripped  too 
much  of  their  roots.  Put  them  in  rows  of  course. 
The  setting-stick  should  be  the  upper  part  of  a 
spade  or  shovel  handle.  The  eye  of  the  spade  is 
the  handle  of  the  stick.  From  the  bottom  of  the 
eye  to  the  point  of  the  stick  should  be  about  nine 
inches  in  length.  The  stick  should  not  be  tapering-  ; 
but  nearly  of  equal  thickness  all  the  way  down,  to 
within  an  inch  and  a  half  of  the  point,  where  it  must 
be  tapered  off  to  iiie  point.  If  the  wood  be  cut 
away  all  round,  to  the  thickness  of  a  dollar,  and 
iron  put  round  in  its  stead,  it  makes  a  very  com- 
plete tool.  The  iron  becomes  bright,  and  the  earth 
does  not  adhere  to  it,  as  it  does  to  wood.  Having 
the  plant  in  one  hand,  and  the  stick  in  the  other, 
make  a  hole  suitable  to  the  root  that  it  is  to  receive. 
Put  in  the  root  in  such  way  as  that  the  earth,  when 
pressed  in,  will  be  on  a  level  with  the  butt-ends  of 
the  lower,  or  outward,  leaves  of  the  plant.  Let  the 
plant  be  rather  higher  than  lower  than  this  ;  for,  care 


[V.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  117 

must  be  taken  not  to  put  the  plant  so  low  as  for  the 
earth  to  fall,  or  he  washed,  into  the  heart  of  the  plant, 
nor  eve-n  into  the  inside  of  the  bottom  leaves.  The 
stem  of  a  cabbage,  and  stems  of  all  the  cabbage 
kind,  send  out  roots  from  all  the  parts  of  them  that 
are  put  beneath  the  surface  of  the  ground.  It  H 
good,  therefore,  to  plant  as  deep  as  you  can  without 
injury  to  the  leaves. — The  next  consideration  is, 
the  fastening  of  the  plant  in  the  ground.  I  can- 
not do  better  than  repeat  here  what  I  have  said 
in  my  Year's  Residence,  Paragraphs  S3  and  84. 
"  The  hole  is  made  deeper  than  the  length  of  the 
roots  ;  but  the  root  should  not  be  bent  at  the  point, 
if  it  can  be  avoided.  Then,  while  one  hand  holds 
the  plant,  with  its  root  in  the  hole,  the  other  hand 
applies  the  setting  stick  to  the  earth  on  one  side  of 
the  hole,  the  stick  being  held  in  such  a  way  as  to 
form  a  sharp  triangle  with  the  plant.  Then,  push- 
ing the  stick  down,  so  that  its  point  go  a  little 
deeper  than  the  point  of  the  root,  and  giving  it  a 
little  twist,  it  presses  the  earth  against  the  point,  or 
bottom  of  the  root."  And  thus  all  is  safe,  and  the 
piant  is  sure  to  grow.  The  general,  and  almost 
universal,  fault,  is,  that  the  planter,  when  he  has 
put  the  root  into  the  hole,  draws  the  earth  up 
against  the  upper  part  of  the  root,  and,  if  he  press 
pretty  well  there,  he  thinks  that  the  planting  is 
well  done,  But,  it  is  the  point  of  the  root  against 
which  the  earth  ought  to  be  pressed,  for  there  the 
fibres  are  ;  and,  if  they  do  not  touch  the  earth 
closely,  the  plant  will  not  thrive.  To  know, 
whether  you  have  fastened  the  plant  well  in  the 
ground,  take  the  tip  of  one  of  the  leaves  of  the 
plant  between  your  finger  and  thumb.  Give  a  pull. 
If  the  plant  resist  the  pull,  "  far  as  for  the  bit  of 
leaf  to  come  away,  the  plan  s  properly  fastened 


118  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

in  the  ground  ;  but,  if  the  pull  bring-  up  the  plant  • 
then  you  may  be  sure  that  the  planting  is  not  well 
done.  The  point  of  the  stick  ought  to  twist  and 
press  the  earth  up  close  to  the  point  of  the  root , 
so  that  there  be  no  hollow  there.  Pressing  the 
earth  up  against  the  stem  of  the  plant  is  of  little 
use.  As  to  distances  they  must  be  proportioned 
to  the  si-ze  which  the  cabbages  usually  come  to  ; 
and  the  size  (difference  of  soil  out  of  the  question) 
varies  with  the  sort.  However,  for  the  very  small 
sorts,  the  Early  Dwarf,  and  the  Early  Sea-Green, 
a  foot  apart  in  all  directions  is  enough  ;  for  there  is 
no  occasion  to  waste  garden  ground  ;  and  you  do 
not  want  such  things  to  stand  long,  and  the  plants 
are  in  plenty  as  to  number.  The  next  size  is  the 
Early  York,  which  may  have  16  inches  every  way. 
The  Sugar-loaf  may  have  20  inches.  The  Bat- 
tersea  and  Savoy  two  feet  and  a  half.  The  large 
sorts,  as  the  Drum-head  and  others,  3  feet  at  least. 
Now,  with  regard  to  tillage,  keep  the  ground  clear 
of  weeds.  But,  whether  there  be  weeds  or  not, 
hoe  between  the  plants  in  ten  days  after  they  are 
planted.  The  reasons  for  this  are  amply  stated  in 
Paragraphs  176  to  186.  You  cannot  dig  between 
the  plants,  which  stand  at  the  smallest  distances  : 
but  you  may,  and  ought,  to  dig  once,  if  not  twice, 
during  their  growth,  between  all  the  rest.  To  pre- 
vent a  sudden  check  by  breaking  all  the  roots  at 
once,  in  hot  weather,  dig  every  other  interval,  leave 
the  rest,  and  dig  them  a  week  later.  All  the  larger 
sorts  of  cabbages  should,  about  the  time  that  theii 
heads  are  beginning  to  form,  be  earthed  up  ;  that  is, 
have  the  earth  from  the  surface  draw  up  against  the 
stern  ;  and,  the  taller  the  plants  are,  the  more  ne- 
cessary this  is,  and  the  higher  should  the  earth  be 
drawn.  After  the  earth  has  been  thus  drawn  up 


i>  .]  THE    AUE1.ICAN    GARDENER.  HSl 

from  the  surface,  dig,  or  hoe  deep,  the  rest  of  the 
ground. — Thus  the  crop  will  be  brought  to  perfec- 
tion.— As  to  sorts,  the  earliest  is  the  Early  Dwarf, 
(sometimes  called  the  Early  Salisbury ;)  the  next 
is  the  Early  Sea  Green ;  then  comes  the  Early 
York.  Perhaps  any  one  of  them  may  do  ;  but  the 
first  will  head  ten  days  sooner  than  the  last.  The 
Sugar-loaf,  sweetest  and  richest  of  all  cabbages,  if 
sown  and  transplanted  when  Early  Yorks  are,  will 
head  nearly  a  month  later.  It  is  an  excellent  cab- 
bage to  come  in  in  July  and  August.  Some  sown 
three  weeks  later  will  carry  you  through  Septem- 
ber and  October ;  and  some  sown  in  June  and 
transplanted  in  July,  will  carry  you  on  till  Christ- 
mas. For  the  winter  use,  there  really  needs  no- 
thing but  the  Dwarf  Green  Savoy.  When  good 
and  true  to  kind  it  is  very  much  curled  and  of  a 
very  deep  green.  It  should  be  sown  as  soon  as 
the  ground  is  at  all  warm,  and  planted  out  as  soon 
as  stout  enough.  By  November  it  will  have  large 
and  close  heads  weighing  from  5  to  8  pounds  each. 
This  is  the  best  of  all  winter-cabbages.  If  you 
have  Drwn-heads,  or  other  large  cabbages,  the 
time  of  sowing  and  that  of  transplanting  are  the 
same  as  those  for  the  Savoy.  But,  let  me  observe 
here,  that  the  early  sorts  of  cabbage  keep,  during 
winter,  as  well  as  the  large,  late  sorts.  It  is  an 
error  to  suppose,  that  those  cabbages  only,  which 
will  not  come  to  pe'rfection  till  the  approach  of 
winter,  will  keep  well.  The  Early  York,  sown  in 
June,  will  be  right  hard  in  November,  and  will 
keep  as  well  as  the  Drum-head,  or  any  of  the  coarse 
and  strong-smelling  cabbages.  The  Early  Yorks 
are  not  so  big  as  the  Drum-heads  ;  bu<t,  observe, 
that  as  the  former  require  but  16  inches  distance, 
and  the  latter  3  feet,  five  of  the  former  stand  on 


120  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap, 

the  ground  of  one  of  the  latter.  So  that,  perhaps, 
the  Early  Yorks  will  be  the  largest  crop  after  all. 
I  have  tried  the  keeping  of  both  ;  and  I  know  that 
the  fine  Cabbages  keep  as  well  as  the  coarse  ones. 
The  Red  Cabbage  is  raised  and  cultivated  in  the 
same  season  and  same  manner  as  the  Green  Savoy. 
There  are  many  other  sorts  of  cabbage,  early  as 
well  as  late  ;  and  they  may  be  tiied  ;  but  those 
above-mentioned  are  certainly  sorts  enough  for  any 
family. — The  preserving  of  cabbages  during  the 
winter  is  all  that  remains  to  be  treated  of  under  the 
word  cabbage  ;  but,  as  every  reader  must  know,  it 
is  a  matter  of  great  importance  ;  for  on  it  depends 
the  supply  of  cabbages  for  four  months  in  the  year, 
North  of  Virginia  and  South  of  Boston,  and  for  six 
months  in  the  year  when  you  get  as  far  North  as 
the  Province  of  New  Brunswick. — The  cellar  is  a 
poor  place.  The  barn  is  worse.  The  cabbages 
get  putrid  parts  about  them.  If  green  vegetables 
be  not  fed  from  the  earth,  and  be  in  an  unfrozen 
state,  they  will  either  wither  or  rot.  Nothing  is 
nastier  than  putrid  cabbage ;  and  one  rotten  cab- 
bage will  communicate  its  offensiveness  to  a  whole 
parcel.  Pits  you  cannot  open  in  winter.  To  turn 
the  heads  d^wn  and  cover  them  with  earth  while 
the  root  stands  up  in  the  air,  is  liable  to  the  same 
objection.  The  cabbages  are  pretty  safe  ;  but  you 
cannot  get  at  them  during  the  winter.  I  have  tried 
all  the  ways  that  I  ever  saw  practised,  or  that  I 
ever  heard  of;  and  the  following  method  I  found 
to  answer  every  purpose  ;  it  is  the  surest  preserva- 
tion, and  gives  the  least  trouble,  whether  in  the 
putting  together  or  in  the  taking  away  for  use. — 
Lay  out  a  piece  of  ground,  four  feet  wide,  and  in 
length  proportioned  to  your  quantity  of  cabbages 
to  be  preserved.  Dig,  on  each  side  of  it,  a  little 


IV.j  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  121 

trench,  a  foot  deep,  and  throw  the  earth  up  on  the 
four-feet  bed.  Make  the  top  of  the  bed  level  and 
smooth.  Lay  some  poles,  or  old  rails,  at  a  foot 
apart,  long-ways,  upon  the  bed.  Then  put  some 
smaller  poles,  or  stout  sticks  cross  ways  on  the 
rails  or  poles,  and  put  these  last  at  five  or  six  in- 
ches apart.  Upon  these  lay,  corn-stalks,  broom- 
corn  stalks,  or  twigs  or  brush  of  trees,  not  very 
thick,  but  sufficiently  thick  just  to  cover  all  over. 
Make  the  top  flat  and  smooth.  Then,  just  as  the 
frost  is  about  to  lock  up  the  earth,  take  up  the  cab- 
bages, knock  all  dirt  out  of  their  roots,  take  off  all 
dead  or  yellow  looking  leaves,  and  some  of  the  out- 
side leaves  besides  ;  put  the  cabbages,  head  down- 
wards, upon  the  bed,  with  their  roots  sticking  up  ; 
and  cover  them  with  straw  so  thick  as  for  the  straw 
to  come  up  nearly  to  the  root  of  the  cabbage.  Do 
not  pack  them  quite  close.  It  is  better  if  they  do 
not  touch  each  other  much.  Lay  some  bits  of  wood 
or  brush-wood,  to  prevent  the  straw  from  blowing 
off.  If  the  frost  catch  you,  before  you  have  got  the 
cabbages  up,  cut  them  off  close  to  the  ground,  and  let 
the  stumps,  instead  of  the  roots,  stick  up  through  the 
straw. — Out  of  this  stack  you  will  take  your  cab- 
bages perfectly  green  and  good  in  the  spring,  when 
the  frost  breaks  up  ;  and  to  this  stack  you  can,  at 
all  times  in  the  winter,  go,  with  the  greatest  facility, 
and  get  your  cabbages  for  use,  which  you  can  to  no 
other  species  of  conservatory  that  I  ever  saw  or 
heard  of.  The  hollow  part  below  the  cabbages 
takes  away  all  wet  that  may  come  from  occasional 
rains  or  meltings  of  snow  ;  and  the  little  ditches  on 
the  sides  of  the  bed  keep  the  bed  itself  free  from 
being  soaked  with  wet.  Even  if  deep  snows  come 
and  lie  for  months,  as  in  Nova-Scotia,  New  Bruns- 
wick, and  Canada,  it  is  only  removing  ihe  snow  a 
11 


I'i2  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chaj 

little  ;  ami  here  are  the  cabbages  always  fresh  un  i 
good. — Immense  quantities,  particularly  in  woody 
countries,  may  be  stacked  and  preserved  in  this 
way,  at  a  very  trifling  expense.  In  fields  the  side 
trendies  would  be  made  with  the  plough;  poles,  in 
such  a  case,  are  of  all  sizes,  always  at  hand  ;  and, 
small  brush  wood  might  do  very  well  instead  of 
straw,  ^ir-boughs,  ZawreZ-boughs,  or  cecZar-boughs, 
would  certainly  do  better  than  straw  ;  and  where  is 
the  spot  in  America,  which  has  not  one  of  these 
three  ? — Cabbage  Stumps  are  also  to  be  preserved ; 
for  they  are  very  useful  in  the  spring.  You  have 
been  cutting  cabbages  to  eat  in  October  and  No- 
vember. You  leave  the  slumns  standing,  no  matter 
what  be  the  sort.  Take  'them  up  before  the  frost 
sets  in  ;  trim  off  the  long  roots,  and  lay  the  stumps 
in  the  ground,  in  a  sloping  direction,  row  behind 
row,  with  their  heads  four  or  five  inches  out  oi 
ground.  When  the  frost  has  just  set  in  in  earnest. 
and  not  before,  cover  the  stumps  all  over  a  foot 
thick  or  more,  with  straw,  with  corn-stalks,  or  with 
ever-green  boughs  of  some  sort.  As  soon  as  the 
breaking-up  comes,  take  oil*  the  covering,  and  stiv 
the  ground  (as  soon  as  dry,)  by  hoeing  amongst  the 
stumps.  They  should  be  placed  in  an  early  spot ; 
in  one  of  the  warmest  places  you  have  ;  and  they 
will  give  you  (at  New  York)  an  abundance  of  fine 
greens  towards  the  end  of  April,  when  a  handful  of 
wild  dock-leaves  sells  in  New  York  market  for  six- 
pence York  money,  which  is  rather  more  than  an 
English  three  pence. — Lastly,  as  to  the  saving  of 
cabbage  seed.  The  cabbage  is  a  biennial.  It 
brings  its  flower  and  its  seed  the  second  year.  To 
have  cabbage  seed,  therefore,  you  must  preserve 
the  cabbage,  head,  root  and  all,  throughout  the  win- 
ter ;  arid  this  must  be  done,  either  in  a  cellar,  of 


IV.j  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  123 

under  covering  of  some  sort  out  of  doors  ;  for,  the 
root  must  be  kept  in  the  ground  all  winter.  It  19 
possible,  and,  I  think,  likely,  that  seed  from  the 
stump  is  just  as  good  as  any;  but  as  one  single 
cabbage  will  give  seed  enough  for  any  garden  for 
three,  four,  or  five  years,  the  little  pains  that  the 
preservation  can  require  is  not  worth  the  smallest 
risk. — As  to  the  quantity  of  cabbages  wanted  for  a 
family,  it  must  depend  on  the  size  of  the  family  and 
on  their  taste. 

202.  CALABASH.— An  annual.    Cultivated  like 
the  cucumber,  which  see. 

203.  CALE. — This  is  of  the  cabbage  kind.  There 
are  several  sorts  of  it:  and,  it  is,  in   all  respects, 
propagated  and   cultivated  like  the  Green  Savoy, 
which   see  under    Cabbage. — The    Cale   does   not 
head,  or  loave,   but  sends  forth  a  loose,  open  top. 
which  in  England,  is  used  after  the  frost  has  pinched 
it,  and  then  it  sends  out  side-shoots  from  its  tall 
stem,  which  it  continues  to  do,  if  kept  cropped,  till 
May.     In  mild  winter  climates  it  is  very  useful  and 
pleasant.     It  does  not  get  rotted  by  the  successive 
freezings  and  thawing*?,  as  cabbages  do.    It  is  al- 
ways green  and  fresh.     Backward-planted  savoys, 
may,   perhaps,   be  as  good  ;  but  the  Cale   is  very 
goo'd  too.     It  will,   I   dare  say,   stand  throughout 
some  winters  as  far  North  as  Philadelphia.     It  is 
worth  trying  ;  for  greens  are  very  pleasant  in  win- 
ter.— The  Curled   Cale    is    the  best. — Its  seed  is 
saved  like  that  of  the  cabbage.— There  is  a  sort  of 
Cale  called  Boorcole,  and  a  whole  list  of  things  of 
somewhat  the  same  kind,  but  to  name  them  would 
be  of  no  use. 

204.  CALE  (Sea.)— This  is  a  capital  article.    In« 
ff.rior  in   point  of  quality  to  no  vegetable  but  the 
Asparagus,  superior  to  that  in  the  merit  of  earli 


124  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

ness ;  and,  though  of  the  easiest  possible  propaga 
(ion  and  cultivation,  I  have  never  seen  any  of  it  in 
America. — It  is  propagated  by  seed,  and  also  by 
offsets.  The  seeds  may  be  sown,  or  the  young 
plants  (at  a  year  old)  planted,  or  the  offsets  (for  lit- 
tle shoots  from  the  sides  of  the  stems)  planted,  on 
the  spot  where  the  crop  is  to  be  produced. — The 
mode  of  cultivation  is  in  beds,  precisely  the  same 
in  all  respects  as  Asparagus  ;  except,  that  the  Cale 
may  be  begun  upon  the  second  year.  Cover  the 
beds  thick  with  litter  in  winter  ;  so  that  the  frost 
may  not  enter  very  deep;  and,  in  April  (Long 
Island)  you  will  have  plenty. — The  moment  it  peeps 
out,  cut  it,  and  you  have  a  white  stalk  seven  or  eight 
inches  long,  which  is  cooked  just  as  asparagus  is, 
and  is  all  eaten  from  top  to  bottom.  This  plant  is 
a  native  of  the  sea  beach  ;  arid  is  as  hardy  as  any 
weed  that  grows.  Instead  of  earth,  you  may,  il 
convenient,  lay  sand  (and  especially  sea  sand)  for 
it  to  shoot  up  through.  It  may  be  moved  at  any 
age  of  the  plant.  Any  old  stump  of  it  will  grow. 
After  you  leave  off  cutting  it  in  the  spring,  it  goes 
shooting  on,  and,  during  the  summer  it  bears  seed. 
In  the  fall  the  stalks  are  cut  down,  and  you  proceed 
with  the  beds  as  with  those  of  Asparagus. — Two 
beds  across  any  one  of  the  plats  are  enough  for  any 
family. — This  is,  unquestionably,  (after  the  Aspara- 
gus,) the  very  best  garden  vegetable  that  grows. 
Sea  Cale  may  be  had  at  any  time  in  winter,  as  easily 
as  Asparagus  (which  see,)  and  with  less  care.  The 
roots  may  be  dug  up  in  the  fall  and  thrown  under 
any  shed  with  litter,  or  straw,  over  them,  till  you 
want  them.  The  earth  in  the  hot-bed  must  be  deeper 
than  for  Asparagus  :  that  is  all  the  difference. — 
The  seed  is  saved  as  easily  as  that  of  Asparagus, 
205.  CAMOMILE  is  a  medicinal  herb  of  great 


IV.J  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  125 

use.  It  is  a  perennial,  and,  though  it  may  be  pro- 
pagated from  seed,  it  is  easiest  propagated  by  part- 
ing the  roots.  One  little  bit  of  root  will  soon  make 
a  bed  sufficient  for  a  garden.  The  flowers  are  used 
in  medicine.  They  should  be  gathered  before  they 
begin  to  fade  :  and  be  dried  in  a  gentle  sun,  or  in 
shade  ;  and  then  put  by,  in  paper  bags,  in  a  dry 
place. 

'x!06.  CAPSICUM  (or  Peppers.) — An  annual 
plant,  sown  early  in  fine  earth,  in  drills  a  foot  apart, 
and  at  six  inches  apart  in  the  drills.  It  is  hand- 
some as  a  flower,  and  its  pods  are  used  as  a  pickle. 

•^07.  CARAWAY. — The  seeds  are  used  in  cakes. 
The  plant  is  an  annual.  Sow  in  the  spring,  in  tine 
rich  ground,  and  leave-the  plants  eight  inches  apart 
each  way. 

208.  CARROT. — Read  the  Article  BEET  ;  for, 
the  same  season,  same  soil,  same  manure,  same  pre- 
paration for  sowing,  same  distances,  same  inter- 
cultivation,  same  time  of  taking  up,  and  mode  of 
preserving  the  crop,  all  belong  to  the  Carrot. — 
About  the  same  quantity  also  is  enough  for  a  large 
family. — Some  fine  roots  may  be  carefully  preserv- 
ed to  plant  out  for  seed  in  the  spring  ;  and  the  seed 
should  be  taken  only  from  the  centre  seed-stalks  of 
the  carrots ;  for  that  is  the  finest. — The  mark  of  a 
good  kind  of  seed,  is,  deep-red  colour  of  the  tap. 
The  paler  ones  are  degenerate  ;  and  the  yellow  ones 
are  fast  going  back  to  the  wild  carrot.  Some  peo- 
ple consider  that  there  are  two  sorts  :  I  never  could 
discover  any  difference  in  the  plants  coming  from 
seed  of  what  has  been  called  the  two  sorts.  A  Cow 
will  nearly  double  her  milk,  if  taken  from  common 
pasture  in  October,  and  fed  well  on  carrot-greeds, 
or  tops  ;  and  they  may,  at  this  season,  be  cut  ofl 
for  that  purpose.  They  will  shoot  a  little  again  Ue- 
11* 


IvU  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER  |CllUJ> 

fore  the  time  for  taking  th-e  carrots  up  ;  but,  that  is 
of  no  consequence.  These  shoots  can  be  cut  of! 
before  the  carrots  be  put  away  for  winter.  Carrots 
will  transplant  like  Beets  ;  bat,  they  grow  still  more 
forked  than  the  Beet  in  this  case.  They  do,  how- 
ever, grow  large  and  heavy  in  this  way.  I  have 
had  some  weigh  more  than  three  pounds. 

209.  CAULIFLOWER.— It  is  not  without  some 
difficulty,  that  this  plant  is  brought  to  perfection  in 
any  country,  where  the  frost  is  severe  in  winter, 
and  especially  where  the  summers  are  as  hot  as 
they  are  in  every  part  of  the  United  States.  Still 
it  may  be  brought  to  perfection. — It  is  a  cabbage, 
and  the  French  call  it  the  flower-cabbage.  Its 
head  is  a  lump  of  rich  pulp,  instead  of  being,  as  a 
cabbage-head  is,  a  parcel  of  leaves  folding  in  to- 
wards a  centre,  and  lapping  over  each  other.  The 
Cauliflower  is  an  annual  plant.  It  blows,  and  ri- 
pens its  seed,  during  the  year  that  it  is  sown  ;  and, 
in  fact,  the  part  which  is  eaten  is  not,  as  in  the  cab- 
bage, a  lump  of  leaves,  but  the  seed  stalks,  pods, 
and  blossoms,  in  their  embryo  and  compact  state, 
before  they  expand. — It  is  the  same  with  Brocoli. — 
Cauliflowers  maybe  had  to  cat  in  the  fall,  or  in  the 
spring.  The  last  is  the  most  difficult  to  accom- 
plish ;  and  I  will,  therefore,  treat  first  of  the  means 
of  accomplishing  that. — To  have  Cauliflowers  to 
eat  in  the  spring,  that  is  to  say,  in  June,  you  must 
sow  them  in  ihefall ;  for,  they  will  have  a  certain 
age  before  their  heads  will  come.  Yet,  they  are 
very  tender.  They  will  not  endure  a  South  of 
England  winter  without  a  covering,  occasionally  at 
least,  of  some  sort;  and  the  covering  is,  almost  al 
ways,  glass,  either  on  frames  or  in  a  hand-light 
So  that,  to  keep  them  through  an  American  winter 
there  must  not  only  be  plass,  but  that  glass  (except 


IV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  127 

where  you  have  a  green-house  to  be  kept  warm  by 
fire)  must  have  a  covering  in  severe  weather. — 
They  require  age,  ami  yet,  you  must  not  sow  them 
too  early  in  the  fall ;  for,  if  you  do,  they  will  have 
little  heads  about  the  size  of  a  dollar,  and  go  off  to 
seed  at  once  without  coming  to  a  large  head  at  all. 
If  you  be  too  backward  in  sowing,  the  heads  do  not 
begin  before  the  great  heat  comes ;  and,  in  that 
case,  they  will  not  head  till  the  fall. — All  these  cir- 
cumstances make  the  raising  of  them  for  spring  use 
very  difficult. — Sow  (Long  Island)  first  week,  or 
second  week,  in  September,  in  the  same  manner  that 
ycu  sow  cabbages.  When  the  plants  have  eight 
leaves,  put  them  in  a  warm  place,  in  the  natural 
ground,  and  do  not  put  much  dung  in  the  ground. 
The  back  part  of  the  Hot-bed  ground  WOttld  be  the 
place.  Plant  them  six  inches  asunder  upon  a  piece 
of  ground  that  your  frame  will  cover  ;  but  do  not 
put  on  the  frame,  till  sharpish  frosts  begin  to  come. 
Then  put  it  on,  and,  whenever  you  expect  a  frost, 
put  over  the  lights  at  night.  If  there  be  much 
rain,  keep  the  lights  on,  but  give  plenty  of  air. 
Take  the  lights  off  whenever  you  can.  When  the 
hard  frost  comes,  put  long  dung  from  the  stable 
very  thick  all  round  the  frame  up  to  the  very  top  of 
it,  and  extending  a  yard  wide ;  and,  in  severe  wea- 
ther, cover  the  glass  with  a  mat,  or  old  carpet  first ; 
then  put  straw  upon  the  mat ;  and  then  cover  the 
straw  with  another  mat.  But,  mind,  they  must  be 
kept  in  the  dark  as  little  as  possible.  When  the 
sun  is  out,  they  must  have  it ;  and,  in  mild  days, 
they  must  have  a  great  deal  of  air.  When  there 
is  an  occasional  thawing  day,  take  the  lights  off 
a^d  hoe  and  stir  the  ground  ;  for,  they  want  strength 
as  well  as  protection  ;  and  they  must  have  all  the 
air  you  can,  with  safety  to  their  lives,  give  them. — 


128  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

Thus  you  go  on  till  within  about  three  weeks  of  the 
general  Indian-Corn  planting  season.  By  this 
time  you  may  leave  the  lights  off  day  and  night. 
Ten  days  before  Corn-planting  get  your  ground 
ready,  deeply  dug  and  full  of  rich  manure.  Make 
holes  with  a  spade  ;  remove  each  plant  with  a  ball 
of  earth  about  the  roots  ;  fix  the  plants  well  in  the 
holes  at  two  feet  asunder;  leave  a  little  dish  round 
each  ;  water  them  with  water  that  runs  out  of  a 
yard  where  cattle  are  kept.  They  love  moisture, 
especially  under  a  hot  sun.  Give  them  this  sort  of 
water,  or  muddy,  stagnant  water,  every  three  days 
in  hot  weather;  hoe  and  dig  between  them  also  ; 
and,  you  will  have  Cauliflowers  in  June. — If  you 
have  a  Green-house,  the  trouble  is  little.  Sow  as 
before.  Put  about  four  plants  in  a  flower-pot  a  foot 
diameter  at  top,  instead  of  putting  under  a  frame. 
They  will  live  in  the  Green-house  like  other  plants  ; 
and  will  be  ready  to  put  out  as  above-mentioned. 
Fifty  plants  are  enough.  They  are  very  fine  ve- 
getables ;  but  they  come  not  earlier  than  green 
peas. — To  have  Cauliflowers  to  eat  in  the  fall  is  a 
much  easier  matter,  and  then  they  are,  in  my  opi- 
nion, more  valuable  than  in  the  spring.  Sow  at 
the  same  time  and  in  the  same  manner  as  you  sow 
early  cabbages.  Treat  the  plants  in  the  same  way  ; 
put  them  at  two  feet  and  a  half  distance  ;  you  need 
not  now  water  them  ;  they  will  begin  to  come  early 
in  October;  and,  if  any  of  them  have  not  perfected 
their  heads  when  the  sharp  frosts  come,  take  them 
up  by  the  root,  hang  them  up  by  the  heels  in  a  warm 
part  of  a  barn,  or  in  a  cellar  ;  they  will  get  tole- 
rably good  heads;  and  you  will  have  some  of  those 
heads  to  eat  at  Christmas. — The  seed,  on  account 
of  the  heat,  is  extremely  difficult  to  save  in  Ame- 
rica ;  but,  if  a  fall  Cauliflower  were  kept  in  ^ 


XV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  121) 

Green-house  during  winter,  and  put  out  three  weeks 
before  corn-planting  time,  I  am  persuaded,  it  would 
bring  good  seed  in  June. — The  quantity  of  this 
plant  must  depend  upon  the  taste  for  it;  but  it  is  so 
much  better  than  the  very  best  of  cabbages,  that  it 
is  worth  some  trouble  to  get  it. 

210.  CELERY.— The  qualities  of  this  plant  are 
universally  known.  There  are  three  or  four  sorts. 
The  white,  the  red,  the  hollow,  and  the  solid.  The 
hollow  white  is  the  best ;  but  the  propagation  and 
cultivation  of  all  are  the  same.  The  whole  of  that 
part  of  the  year,  during  whichrthe  frost  is  out  of 
the  ground,  is  not  a  bit  too  long  for  the  getting  of 
fine  Celery.  The  seed,  sown  in  the  cold  ground, 
in  April,  will  lie  six  weeks  before  it  come  up.  A 
wheel-barrow  full  of  hot  dung,  put  in  a  hole  in  the 
ground  against  a  wall,  or  any  fence,  facing  the 
south,  and  covered  with  rich  and  fine  mould,  will 
bring  the  seed  up  in  two  weeks.  If  you  have  a  hot- 
bed frame,  or  a  hand-light,  the  thing  is  easy.  A 
large  flower-pot  will  bring  up  out  of  ground,  plants 
enough  for  any  family.  As  soon  as  the  plants  are 
three  inches  high,  and  it  scarcely  matters  how  thick 
they  stand,  make  a  nice  little  bed  in  open  free  air ; 
make  the  ground  rich  and  the  earth  very  fine.  Here 
prick  out  the  plants  at  4  inches  apart;  and,  of  course, 
9  in  a  square  foot.  They  are  so  very  small,  that 
this  must  be  carefully  done ;  and  they  should  be 
gently  watered  once,  and  shaded  2  days.  A  bed  10 
feet  long  and  4  wide  will  contain  360  plants  :  and, 
if  they  be  well  cultivated,  they  are  more  than  any 
common-sized  family  can  want  from  November  till 
May. — In  this  bed  the  plants  stand  till  the  middle 
of  July,  or  thereabouts,  when  they  are  to  go  out 
into  trenches.  Make  the  trenches  a  foot  deep  and 
a  foot  wide,  and  put  them  not  less  than  five  feet 


i30  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER,  [Chap. 

asunder.  The  ground  that  you  make  the  trenches 
in  should  not  be  fresh-dug ;  but  be  in  a  solid  state, 
which  very  conveniently  maybe  ;  for  Celery  comes 
on  just  as  the  Peas  and  early  Cabbages  and  Cauli- 
flowers have  gone  off.  Lay  the  earth  that  you  take 
out  in  the  middle  of  the  space  between  the  trenches, 
so  that  it  may  not  be  washed  into  them  by  the  heavy 
rains  ;  for  it  will,  in  such  case,  cover  the  hearts  oi 
the  plants,  and  will  go  very  nearly  to  destroy 
them. — When  you  have  made  your  trench,  put  along 
it  some  good'rich  compost  manure,  partly  consist- 
ing of  wood  ashes.  Not  dung;  or,  at  least,  not 
dung  fresh  from  the  yard  ;  for,  if  you  use  that,  the 
celery  will  be  rank  and  pipy,  and  will  not  keep 
nearly  so  long  or  so  well. — Dig  this  manure  in,  and 
break  all  the  earth  very  fine  as  you  go. — Then  take 
up  your  plants,  and  trim  off  the  long  roots.  You 
will  find,  that  every  plant  has  offsets  to  it,  coming 
up  by  the  side  of  the  main  stem.  Pull  all  these  off, 
and  leave  only  the  single  stem.  Cut  the  leaves  ofi 
so  as  to  leave  the  whole  plant  about  six  inches 
long. — Plant  them,  six  inches  apart,  and  fix  them 
in  the  manner  so  minutely  dwelt  on  under  the  arti 
cle,  Cabbage,  keeping,  as  you  are  at  work,  youi 
feet  close  to  the  outside  edges  of  the  trench.  Do 
not  water  the  plants ;  and,  if  you  plant  in  fresh-dug 
ground,  and  fix  your  plants  well,  none  of  the  trou- 
blesome and  cumbrous  business  of  shading  is  at 
all  necessary  ;  for  the  plant  is  naturally  hardy,  and, 
fit  has  heat  to  wither  it  above,  it  has  also  that  heat 
eneath  to  cause  its  roots  to  strike  out  almost  in- 
stantly.— When  the  plants  begin  to  grow,  which 
they  quickly  will  do,  hoe  on  each  side  and  between 
them  with  a  small  hoe.  As  they  grow  up,  earth 
their  stems ;  that  is,  put  the  earth  up  to  them,  but 
not  too  much  at  a  time  ;  and  let  tb"  earth  that  you 


[V.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARUENER.  131 

put  up  be  finely  broken,  and  not  at  all  cloddy 
While  you  do  this,  keep  the  stalks  of  the  outside 
loaves  close  up  to  prevent  the  earth  from  getting 
between  the  stems  of  the  outside  leaves  and  the 
inner  ones  ;  for,  if  it  get  there  it  checks  the  plant 
and  makes  the  celery  bad. — When  you  begin  the 
earthing  take  first  the  edges  of  the  trendies ;  and 
do  not  go  into  the  middle  of  the  intervals  for  the 
earth  that  you  took  out  of  the  trenches.  Keep 
working  backwards,  time  after  time,  that  is  earth- 
ing after  earthing,  till  you  come  to  the  earth  that 
you  dug  out  of  the  trenches  ;  and,  by  this  time  the 
earth  against  the  plants  will  be  above  the  level  of 
the  land.  Then  you  take  the  earth  out  of  the  mid- 
dle, till,  at  last  the  earth  against  the  plants  form  a 
ridge  and  the  middle  of  each  interval  a  sort  of  gut- 
ter. Earth  up  very  often,  and  not  put  much  at  a 
time.  Every  week  a  little  earth  to  be  put  up. — 
Thus,  in  October,  you  will  have  four  ridges  of  Ce- 
lery across  one  of  the  Plats,  each  containing  168 
plants.  I  shall  suppose  one  of  these  ridges  to  be 
wanted  for  use  before  the  frost  sets  in  for  good. 
Leave  another  ridge  to  be  lock-up  by  the  frost,  a 
much  safer  guardian  than  your  cellar  or  barn-door. 
But,  you  must  cover  this  ridge  over  in  such  a  way 
that  the  u-ct  will  not  get  down  into  the  hearts  of  the 
celery.  Two  boards,  a  foot  wide  each,  their  edges 
on  one  side  laid  upon  the  earth  of  the  ridge,  formed 
into  a  roof  over  the  point  of  the  ridge,  the  upper 
edge  of  one  board  going  an  inch  over  the  upper 
edge  of  the  other,  and  the  boards  fastened  well 
with  pegs,  will  do  the  business  completely  ;  for  it  is 
not  the  frost,  but  the  occasional  thaws  that  you  have 
to  fear,  and  the  wet  and  rot  that  they  produce. — 
For  the  celery  that  is  to  serve  from  the  setting  in 
to  the  breaking  up  of  the  frost,  you  must  have  a  bed 


132  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

of  sand,  or  light  earth,  in  a  warm  part  of  a  barn,  or 
in  a  cellar  ;  and  there  you  must  lay  it  in,  row  after 
row,  not  covering  the  points  of  the  leaves. — To  have 
seed,  take  one  plant,  in  spring,  out  of  the  rid<je  left 
in  the  garden.  Plant  it  in  an  open  place,  and  you 
will  have  seed  enough  to  serve  a  whole  township 
For  soup,  the  seed  bruised  is  as  good  as  the  plant 
itself.  For  the  number  of  years  that  the  seed  will 
keep  good,  see  Paragraph  150. 

211.  CHERVIL  is  an  annual  plant.     Its  leaves 
are  a  good  deal  like  those  of  double  parsley.    They 
are  used  in  salads.     A  small  patch,  sown  in  rows, 
like  parsley,  is  enough. 

212.  GIVES,  a  little  sort  of  ohion,  which  is  pe- 
rennial.   The  greens  only  are  used.    A  small  quan 
tity  is  sufficient  for  a  garden.     This  plant  may  be 
propagated  from  seed,  or  from  offsets. 

213.  CORIANDER  is  an  annual  plant  that  some- 
persons  use  in  soups  and  salads.     It  is   sown  in 
spring.     The  seed  is  also  used  as  a  medicine.     A 
small   patch,  probably  two   square  yards,  will  be 
enough. 

214.  CORN  (Indian.) — To  have  some  early,  the 
early  sorts  must  be  got.     A  dozen  or  two  of  plants 
may  be  easily  raised  in  pots,  as  directed  for  Cu- 
cumbers.    See  Cucumber. 

215.  CORN-SALAD.— This  is  a  little  insignifi- 
cant annual  plant  that  some  persons  use  in  salads, 
though  it  can  hardly  be  of  any  real  use,  where  let- 
tuce seed  is  to  be  had.     It  is  a  mere  weed. 

216.  CRESS  (or  Pepper-Grass)  is  very  good  in 
salads  along  with  lettuces,  white  mustard,  or  rape. 
It  should  be   sown  in  little   drills,   very  thick  (as 
should  the  white  mustard  and  the  rape)  and  cut  be* 
fore  it  comes  into  rough  leaf.     A  small  qua.ntity, 
in  the  salad-season,  should  be  sown  every  six  days 


IV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  13£ 

This  salad,  as  well  as  the  mustard  and  the  rape,  may 
be  very  conveniently  raised  in  a  corner  of  a  hot-bed 
made  for  radishes  or  cabbage-plants. 

217.  CUCUMBER.— To  give  minute  rules  for 
the  propagation  and  cultivation  of  this  plant,  in  a 
country  like  this,  would  be  waste  of  time.  How- 
ever, if  you  wrish  to  have  them  a  month  earlier 
than  the  natural  ground  will  bring  them,  do  this. 
Make  a  hole,  and  put  into  it  a  little  hot  dung  ;  let 
ihe  hole  be  under  a  warm  fence.  Put  6  inches  deep 
of  fine  rich  earth  on  the  dung.  Sow  a  parcel  of 
seeds,  in  this  earth  ;  and  cover  at  night  with  a  bit  of 
carpet,  or  sail  cloth,  having  first  fixed  some  hoops 
over  this  little  bed. — Before  the  plants  show  the 
rough  leaf,  plant  two  into  a  little  flower  pot,  and  fill 
as  many  pots  in  this  way  as  you  please. — Have  a 
larger  bed  ready  to  put  the  pots  into,  and  covered 
with  earth  so  that  the  pots  may  be  plunged  in  the 
earth  up  to  their  tops.  Cover  this  bed  like  the 
last. — When  the  plants  have  got  two  rough  leaves 
out,  they  will  begin  to  make  a  shoot  in  the  middle. 
Pinch  that  short  off. — Let  them  stand  in  this  bed,  till 
your  cucumbers  sown  in  the  natural  ground  come 
up ;  then  make  some  little  holes  in  good  rich  land, 
and  taking  a  pot  at  a  time,  turn  out  the  ball  and  fix  it 
in  the  hole.  These  plants  will  bear  a  month  sooner 
than  those  sown  in  the  natural  ground  ;  and  a  square 
yard  will  contain  36  pots,  and  will  of  course,  fur- 
nish plants  for  36  hills  of  cucumbers,  which,  if 
well  managed,  will  keep  on  bearing  till  Septem- 
ber.— Those  who  have  hot-bed  frames,  or  hand' 
lights,  will  do  this  matter  very  easily. — The  cucum- 
ber plant  is  very  tender  and  juicy  ;  and,  therefore, 
when  the  seedlings  are  put  into  the  pots,  they  should 
be  watered,  and  shaded  for  a  day  or  two  ;  when  the 
balls  are  turned  into  the  ground,  they  should  he 
12 


134  THE    AMERICAN    GARDEXER.  Chap 

watered,  and  shaded  with  a  bough  for  one  day 
That  will  be  enough.  I  have  one  observation  tc 
make  upon  the  cultivation  of  cucumbers,  melons  oi 
all  sorts,  and  that  of  all  the  pumpkin  and  squash 
tribe  ;  and  that  is,  that  it  is  a  great  error  to  sow 
them  too  thick.  One  plant  in  a  hill  is  enough  ;  and 
I  would  put  two  into  a  pot,  merely  as  a  bar  against 
accidents.  One  will  bring  more  weight  of  fruit  than 
two  (if  standing  near  each  other,)  two  more  than 
three,  and  so  on,  till  you  come  to  fifty  in  a  square 
foot;  and  then  you  will  have  no  fruit  at  all!  Le1 
any  one  make  the  experiment,  and  he  will  find  thi? 
observation  mathematically  true.  When  cucum- 
bers are  left  eight  or  ten  plants  in  a  hill,  they  never 
shoot  strongly.  Their  vines  are  poor  and  weak, 
the  leaves  become  yellow,  and,  if  they  bear  at  all, 
it  is  poor  tasteless  fruit  that  they  produce.  Their 
bearing  is  over  in  a  few  weeks.  Whereas,  a  single 
plant,  in  the  same  space,  will  send  its  fine  green 
vines  all  around  it  to  a  great  distance,  and,  if  nc 
fruit  be  left  to  ripen,  will  keep  bearing  till  the  white 
frosts  come  in  the  fall. — The  roots  of  a  cucumber 
will  go  ten  feet,  in  fine  earth,  in  every  direction 
Judge,  then,  how  ten  plants,  standing  close  to  one 
another,  must  produce  mutual  starvation  ! — If  yoi 
save  a  cucumber  for  weed,  let  it  be  the  first  fine  frui. 
that  appears  on  the  plant.  The  plant  will  cease  to 
bear  much  after  this  fruit  becomes  yellowish. — 1 
have  said  enough,  under  the  head  of  Saving  Seeds, 
(Paragraphs,  139  to  146)  to  make  you  take  care, 
that  nothing  of  the  mslon,  pumpkin  or  squash  kind 
grow  near  a  seed-bearing  cucumber  plant ;  and  that 
all  cucumbers  of  a  different  sort  from  that  bearing 
the  seed  be  kept  at  a  great  distance. — There  are 
many  sorts  of  cucumbers  :  the  Long-  Prickly,  the 
Short 'Prickly,  the  Cluster,  and  man>  others;  but, 


l\   J  'I  HE    AMERICAN    GARDENER  135 

the  propagation  and  cultivation  of  all  the  sorts  ar*> 
the  same. 

218.  DANDELION.— This  is  a  well-known  and 
most  wicked  garden  weed,  in  this  country  as  well  as 
in  England  ;  and  I  am  half  afraid  to  speak  of  using 
ii  as  food,  lest  I  should  encourage  laziness.  Butv 
there  may  be  people  without  gardens,  and  without 
the  means  of  purchasing  greens  in  the  spring  ;  and 
to  them  what  I  am  about  to  say  may  be  of  use. 
The  Dandelion  is  as  early  as  the  earliest  of  grass ; 
and,  it  is  one  of  the  very  best  of  greens,  when  it  is 
young.  It  is  a  sort  of  wild  Endive.  The  French 
who  call  it  (from  the  shape  of  its  leave)  Dent  de 
lion,  or  Lion's  tooth,  use  it,  bleached,  as  salad,  and, 
if  fine,  large  and  well  bleached,  it  is  better  than 
Endive,  much  more  tender,  and  of  a  better  flavour, 
it  is  very  common  in  rich  pasture  land  in  England ; 
and  cattle  and  sheep,  particularly  the  former,  pre  • 
fer  it,  as  far  as  my  observation  has  gone,  to  every 
other  plant  in  the  pastures.  It  is  full  of  milk-co- 
loured juice,  and  fuller  of  it  than  either  the  Endive 
or  the  Lettuce.  In  the  spring  (June)  1817,  when  I 
came  to  Long  Island,  and  when  nothing  in  the  shape 
of  greens  was  to  be  had  for  love  or  money,  Dan- 
delions were  our  resource  ;  and  I  have  always, 
since  that  time,  looked  at  this  weed  with  a  more 
friendly  eye. 

219.  DOCK. — I  have  frequently  mentioned  the 
leaves  of  this  weed  as  being  sold  in  the  market  at 
Ne\v  York.  This  weed  and  the  Dandelion  are  the 
gardener's  two  vegetable  devils.  Nothing  but  ab- 
solute burning,  or  a  sun  that  will  reduce  them  to 
powder,  will  kill  their  roots,  any  little  bit  of  which 
will  grow,  and  that,  too,  whether  lying  on,  or  in, 
the  ground.  Both  bear  seed  in  prodigious  quanti- 
ties.— 'The  Dock  (which  is  the  wild  Rhubarb)  puts 


130  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

forth  its  leaves  very  quickly  after  the  Dandelion  ; 
and  hence  it  is  that  it  is  resorted  to  as  greens  in 
the  spring.  This  is,  however,  a  coarse  green  com- 
pared with  the  Dandelion.  However,  it  is  better 
than  no  greens  at  all  after  five  months  of  winter, 
which  has  left  nothing  green  upon  the  face  of  the 
earth. — If  a  rod  or  two  of  ground,  on  the  south  side 
of  a  wood,  were  trenched  and  made  rich,  and  plant- 
ed with  Docks,  or  Dandelions,  the  owner,  even 
though  he  had  no  garden,  would  not  be  in  want  ol 
early  greens  ;  and,  it  would  be  better  to  do  this  than 
to  have  to  go  upon  the  hunt  after  these  vegetables, 
which,  though  weeds,  are  not,  in  every  place,  to  be 
found  in  any  considerable  quantity ;  or,  at  least, 
not  without  spending  a  good  deal  of  time  in  the 
pursuit. — The  Dock-leaf  is  very  wholesome,  as  is 
also  that  of  the  Dandelion.  They  do  not  produce 
gripings  as  the  greater  part  of  the  cabbage  kinds 
are  apt  to  do. — See  Rhubarb. 

220.  ENDIVE. — This  is  a  salad-plant,  though, 
like  the  Dandelion,  it  may  be  eaten  as  greens. — 
There  are  two  sorts,  the  curled  and  the  plain,  just 
as  there  are  of  the  Dandelion,  which,  as  I  observed 
before,  is  a  sort  of  Endive. — The  curled  is  prettiest, 
and  is,  therefore,  generally  preferred  ;  but,  the  plain 
is  the  best. — Sow  Endive  in  drills  a  foot  apart ; 
when  the  plants  come  up,  thin  them  to  a  foot  apart 
in  the  row,  if  they  be  not  to  be  removed  by  trans- 
plantation ;  keep  the  ground  clean,  and  hoe  deep 
arid  frequently  between  the  plants.  When  they 
get  to  a  good  size,  they  are  to  be  bleached  before 
they  can  be  used  as  salad ;  for,  while  green,  they 
are  bitter  and  not  very  crisp.  In  order  to  bleach 
them,  you  must  take  them  when  quite  dry ;  gather 
all  the  leaves  carefully  up  with  your  hands  ;  draw 
them  into  a  conical  form,  and  tie  them  round  with 


IV.]  THE    AMERICAN*    GARDENER.  137 

matting  or  soft  string,  or  little  splinters  of  white 
oak.  When  they  have  remained  in  this  state  for 
about  a  fortnight,  they  will  be  bleached  and  fit  for 
use. — The  time  of  sowing  may  be  as  early  as  the 
weather  will  permit  in  the  spring,  and  there  may- 
be another  sowing  for  summer  ;  but,  it  is  for  winter 
and  spring  use  that  Endive  is  most  wanted  ;  so  that, 
the  late  sowings  are  of  the  most  importance.  Sow 
about  the  end  of  July,  in  fine  rich  ground.  If  you 
do  not  transplant,  leave  the  plants  at  the  distances 
before-mentioned  ;  if  you  do,  transplant  at  the  same 
distances  (a  foot  every  way;)  do  it  when  the  plants 
have  ten  leaves,  and  tip  off  both  leaves  and  roots 
when  you  transplant.  Fix  the  roots  well  as  direct- 
ed in  the  case  of  cabbage  ;  and,  as  the  plant  is  very 
juicy,  and  the  weather  hot,  plant  in  the  evening,  or 
early  in  the  morning,  water  a  little,  and  lay  some 
bows  over  to  shade  for  two  days,  but  take  the  bows 
off  at  night. — The  best  place  for  Endive  would  be 
the  shady  border.  The  plants  will  come  in  for  use 
in  October,  November,  and  December.  Some  sown 
a  little  later  must  be  preserved  for  winter  use.  Be- 
fore the  frost  sets  in,  they  must  be  tied  up  in  a  co- 
nical form,  as  before  directed,  and  all  dead,  or  yel- 
low, leaves  must  be  taken  off.  Then  dig  them  up, 
with  a  ball  of  earth  to  each,  and  put  them  into  light 
earth  in  a  cellar  or  some  warm  building.  Put  only 
the  roots  into  the  earth;  do  not  suffer  the  plants  to 
touch  each  other;  and  pour  a  little  water  round 
the  roots  after  you  have  put  them  in  the  earth.  II 
they  be  perfectly  dry  when  tied  up,  they  will  keep 
well  till  spring. — To  have  them  as  early  as  possible 
in  the  spring,  sow  in  the  third  week  of  August,  and 
do  not  transplant.  When  the  hard  frost  is  come, 
cover  the  whole  of  the  ground  over  with  straw  six 
inches  deep,  and  throw  (if  at  hand)  some  leaves  of 


138  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap, 

trees  over  the  straw,  and  some  sticks  to  keep  the 
leaves  from  blowing  away.  But,  the  best  covering 
of  all,  in  this  case  is,  boughs  of  cedar,  or  of  fir,  or 
laurel;  though  these  boughs  must  be,  for  this  pur- 
pose, cut  up  into  small  parts,  so  that  they  will  lie 
close  and  compact  and  keep  out  the  light.  Some 
ever-green  boughs,  and  some  leaves  of  trees  thrown 
over  them,  form,  perhaps,  the  best  covering  in  the 
world  for  plants  of  this  description.  But,  observe  ; 
you  must  let  the  frost  come.  The  ground  must  be 
right  hard  when  you  put  the  covering  on  ;  or  else, 
the  plants  will  rot.  They  must  see  the  sun  no  more 
till  spring. — When  the  frost  breaks  up,  take  off  the 
covering;  hoe  the  ground  as  soon  as  dry,  and  pro- 
ceed to  perfect  the  plants  in  the  manner  before  de- 
scribed.— One  of  these  plants  will  produce  seed 
enough  to  last  you  for  five  years. — There  need  not 
be  many  of  these  plants.  Lettuces  are  their  rival's, 
and  are  a  great  deal  better. — I  have  mentioned  mat- 
ting in  this  article,  as  a  thing  to  tie  with.  This 
matting  is  nothing  more  than  the  threads  of  those 
large  things,  in  which  foreign  goods  sometimes 
come  packed  up.  These  things  are  in  England 
called  Mats,  and  the  threads  of  which  they  are 
composed,  are  by  gardeners,  called  matting.  The 
gardeners  use  this  for  ties  to  Espalier  trees  ;  they 
tie  on  their  grafts  with  it ;  they  tie  up  their  flowers 
with  it ;  and,  in  short,  it  is  the  string  of  the  gar- 
deners. The  Mats,  thousands  of  bales  of  which  are 
imported  into  England  from  Russia,  are  used  to  co- 
ver the  hot-beds  with,  and  for  various  other  pur- 
poses.— But,  matting  is  to  be  had,  and  with  very 
little  trouble,  without  sending  to  Russia  for  it.  Any 
one  who  has  a  spare  tree  may  have  plenty  of  mat- 
ting. When  I  camo  to  Long  (sland,  I  cut  down  a 
chestnut,  of  xbouta  foot  diameter,  and  that  furnished 


I\T.J  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  139 

me  with  a  store  of  matting  ties.  The  tree  was  cut 
in  June;  the  outer  bark  taken  off;  and  then  the 
iftTzer-bark  came  off  in  long  flakes,  some  broad  and 
some  narrow,  the  whole  length  of  the  clear  trunk, 
which  was  about  15  feet.  I  just  hung  this  up  to 
dry;  and  that  was  matting,  to  be  cut  into  any  length, 
and  ready  to  use  for  any  tie,  where  much  strength 
was  not  required.  The  only  precautions  are:  keep 
the  matting  in  the  dry,  and  when  you  use  it  dip  it 
in  water  first  for  a  few  minutes,  and  take  it  out  of 
the  water  as  you  use  it.  If  you  have  put  more  into 
the  water  than  you  want  for  that  time,  take  it  out 
and  hang  it  up  in  the  dry  again ;  and  it  will  receive 
no  injury. 

221.  FENNEL. — Fennel  is  a  perennial  plant; 
propagated  from  seed,   or  from  offsets;  and  sown, 
or  planted,   either   in  spring   or  fall.     The  plants 
should  stand  about  a  foot  asunder.    It  is  a  tall  plant 
with  hairy  leaves.    Its  leaves  are  used  in  salads,  are 
chopped  up  fine  to  put  in  melted  butter  eaten  with 
fish  ;  they  are  boiled  with  fish  to  give  the  fish  a  fla- 
vour, and,  they  are  tied  round  mackerel,  particu- 
larly, when  these  are  broiled.     The  French,  who 
excel  in  the  cooking  of  fish,  always  do  this.     The 
leaves,   thus  broiled,  become  crisp ;  and,  they  are 
then  of  a  very  fine  flavour.     In  winter,  the  seed, 
bruised,  gives  fish  the  same  flavour  as  the  leaves  do 
in  summer ;  and,  to  my  taste,  butter,  seasoned  with 
Femicl,  is  better  than  any  of  the  fish  sauces,  bought 
at  the  shops. — It  is  a  very  hardy  plant.     Two  yards 
square  will  contain  enough  for  any  family  ;  and, 
once  in  the  ground,   it  will  stand  there  for  an  age, 
or  ten  ag-es,  as  far  as  I  know. 

222.  GARLICK.— Almost  all  nations  except  the 
English,  the  Americans,  and  the  French,  make  great 
ar.d  constant  use  of  Garlick;  and,  even  the  French 


140  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENED.  [Chap 

use  it,  frequently,  to  an  extent  that  would  drive  us 
from  the  table. — It  is  propagated  from  seed,  or  from 
offsets :  and  is  sown,  or  planted,  either  in  spring  or 
fall.  For  winter-use,  the  roots  are  taken  up  and 
kept  in  the  dry,  as  onions  are. 

223.  GOURD. — I  do  not  know  any  use  that  it  is 
of.     See  Pumpkin. 

224.  HOP.— To  range  the  Hop  amongst  Veget- 
ables may  appear  odd  ;  but,  it  is  a  garden-plant  in 
America,  and  does  give  you,  if  you  like  to  have  it, 
a  very  good  dish  for  the  table.    It  is  wanted  to  pro- 
duce its  fruit  for  the  making  of  yeast,  or  beer,  or 
both  ;  and,  to  get  good  hops,  there  should  be  some 
cultivation.     Any  bit  of  a  root  will  grow  and  be- 
come a  plant.    The  young  plants  should  be  planted 
in  the  fall,  three  or  four  together  in  a  clump,  or  hill, 
and  the  hills  should  be  from  seven  to  ten  feet  apart. 
The  first  year  of  planting,  put  four  rods,  or  little 
poles,  to  each  hill,  and  let  two  vines  go  up  each 
pole,  treading  the  rest  of  the  vines  down  to  creep 
about  the  ground.     In  a  month  after  the  vines  be- 
gin to  mount  the   poles,  cut  off  all   the  creeping 
vines  ;  and  draw  up  a  hill  of  earth  against  the  poles 
all  round,  and   cover  all  the  crowns  of  the  plants. 
In  short,  make  a  hill  a  foot  high  with  a  flattish  top, 
and  then  fork  up  the  ground  between  the  hills  and 
break  it  fine.     When  weeds  begin  to  appear,  hoe 
the  ground  clean  ;  and,  at  the  end  of  another  month 
draw  some  more  earth  up,  and  make  the  hill  bigger 
and  higher. — When  the  fall  comes,  cut  off  the  vines 
that  have  gone  up  the  pole  a  foot  from  the  ground  ; 
take  down  the  poles  ;  dig  down  the  hills,  and,  with 
a  corn-hoe,  open  the  ground  all  round  the  crowns 
of  the  plants ;  and,  before  winter  sets  in,  cut  all 
close  down  to  the  very  crowns,  and  then  cover  the 
•.rowns  over  with  earth  three  or  four  inches  thick, 


IV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  141 

Through  this  earth  the  hop-shoots  will  sta.t  in  the 
spring.  You  will  want  but  eight  of  them  to  go  up 
your  four  poles  ;  and  the  rest,  when  three  inches 
long,  you  may  cut,  and  eat  as  asparagus ;  cook 
them  in  the  same  manner,  and  you  will  find  them  a 
very  delightful  vegetable. — This  year  you  put  poles 
20  feet  long  to  your  hops.  Proceed  the  same  as 
before,  only  make  the  hills  larger  ;  and  this  year 
you  will  have  plenty  of  hops  to  gather  for  use. — 
The  next,  and  every  succeeding  year,  you  may  put 
poles  40  or  50  feet  long  ;  but  they  must  not  be  too 
large  at  bottom.  Be  sure  to  open  the  ground  every 
fall,  and  to  cut  all  off  close  down  to  the  crown  of 
the  plants,  which,  when  pared  off  with  a  sharp 
knife,  will  look  like  a  piece  of  cork. — In  England, 
where  there  are  more  hops  used  than  in  all  the  rest 
of  the  world,  it  requires  four  or  five  years  to  bring 
a  hop  hill  to  perfection.  Even  then,  a  pole  from 
15  to  20  feet  long  is  generally  long  enough  ;  and 
the  crop  of  thirty  hills  is,  upon  an  average,  not 
more  than  equal  to  that  of  one  hill  in  the  hop-plan- 
tations on  the  Susquehannah  ;  notwithstanding  that, 
on  the  Susquehannah,  they  merely  plough  the 
ground  in  spring ;  never  open  the  crowns  and  pare 
them  down,  leave  the  loose  creeping  vines  together 
with  the  weeds  and  grass  to  be  eaten,  in  summer,  by 
sheep,  which  also  eat  the  leaves  of  the  mounting 
vines  as  far  as  they,  by  putting  their  fore  feet  against 
the  poles,  can  reach  up ;  and  yet,  in  England,  the 
Hop-lands  are  called  hop-gardens,  and  are  culti- 
vated and  kept  in  a  garden  state. — But,  hops  are  to 
be  preserved.  They  are  fit  to  gather,  when  you 
see,  upon  opening  the  leaves  of  the  hop,  a  good 
deal  of  yellow  dust,  and  when  the  seeds,  which  you 
will  find  at  the  sockets  of  the  leaves  of  the  hop, 
begin  to  be  plump. — Gather  them  nk'ely,  and  let  no 


142  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap, 

leaves  or  stalks  be  amongst  them  ;  arid  lay  them 
out  on  a  cloth  to  dry  in  the  sun,  taking  care  that  no 
rain  fall  upon  them,  and  that  they  be  not  out  in  the 
dew. — When  perfectly  dry,  put  them,  very  hardly 
and  closely  pressed,  into  a  new  bag,  made  of  thick 
Russia  linen,  such  as  they  make  strong  trowsers  of. 
And,  in  this  state,  they  will,  if  necessary,  keep  good 
and  fit  for  use  (if  kept  in  a  dry  place)  for  twenty 
years,  or,  perhaps,  three  times  twenty.  I  have  used 
hops,  for  brewing,  at  ten  years  old,  and  found  them 
just  as  efficient  as  new  hops  of  the  same  original 
quality.  However,  people  say  that  the  fresh  hops 
have  a  more  lively  flavour  ;  and,  as  any  stick  will, 
in  America,  carry  enough  to  supply  a  family  with 
hops  for  the  making  of  yeast-cakes,  it  must  be 
sho-cking  laziness  not  to  put  a  few  by  every  year. 

225.    HORSE-RADISH. Like    every'  other 

plant,  this  bears  seed ;  but  it  is  best  propagated  by 
cutting  bits  of  its  roots  into  lengths  of  two  inches, 
and  putting  them,  spring  or  fall,  into  the  ground 
about  a  foot  deep  with  a  setting  stick.  They  will 
find  their  way  up  the  first  year  ;  and  the  second  they 
will  be  fine  large  roots,  if  the  ground  be  trenched 
deeply  and  made  pretty  good.  Haifa  square  perch 
of  ground,  planted  at  a  foot  apart  every  way,  will, 
if  kept  clear  of  weeds,  produce  enough  for  a  family 
that  eats  roast-beef  every  day  of  their  lives.  You 
must  take  care  that  the  Horse-radish  roots  do  not 
spread,  and  that  bits  of  them  be  not  flung  about  the 
ground  ;  for,  when  once  in,  no  tillage  will  get  them 
out.  They  must  be,  like  the  Dock  and  Dandelion 
roots,  absolutely  burnt  by  fire,  or  by  a  sun  that  will 
reduce  them  to  a  state  of  a  diy  stick;  or  must  be 
taken  up  and  carried  away  from  the  spot.  Though 
a  very  valuable  and  wholesome  article  of  diet,  it  is 
a  most  pernicious  weed 


1Y.J  THE    AMERICAN    GARDEXI.R.  l43 

226.  HYSSOP  is  a  sort  of  shrub,   the  flower- 
spikes  of  which  are  used,  fresh  or  dried,  for  medi- 
cinal purposes.    It  is  propagated  from  seed,  or  from 
offsets.    A  very  little  of  it  is  enough  for  any  garden. 

227.  JERUSALEM  ARTICHOKE.— This  plant 
bears  at  the  root,  like  a  potatoe,  which,  to  the  great 
degradation  of  many  of  the  human  race,  is  every 
wh^re  well  known.     But,  this  Artichoke,  which  is 
also  dug  up  and  cooked  like  a  potatoe,  has,  at  any 
rate,  the  merit  of  giving  no  trouble  either  in  the 
propagation  or  the  cultivation.     A  handful  of  the 
bits  of  its  fruit,  or  even  of  its  rqots,  flung  about  a 
piece  of  ground  of  any  sort,  will  keep  bearing  for 
ever,  in  spite  of  grass  and  of  weeds  ;  the  difficulty 
being,  not  to  get  it  to  grow,  but  to  get  the  ground 
free  from  it,  when  once  it  has  taken  to  growing.    It 
is  a  very  poor,  insipid  vegetable ;  but,  if  you  wish 
to  have  it,  now  and  then,  the  best  way  is  to  keep  it 
out  of  the  garden  ;  and  to  dig  up  the  corner  of  some 
field,  and  throw  some  seed  or  some  roots  into  it. 

228.  LAVENDER.— A  beautiful  little  well  known 
shrub  of  uses  equally  well  known.     Hundreds  of 
acres  are  cultivated  in  England  for  the  flowers  to 
be  used  in  distillation.     It  may  be  propagated  from 
seed  ;  but  is  easiest  propagated  from  slips,  taken  off 
in  the  spring,  and  planted  in  good  moist  ground  in 
the  shade.     When  planted  out  it  should  be  in  rows 
three  feet  apart  and  two  feet  apart  in  the  rows.    If 
the  flowers  be  to  be  preserved,  the  flower-stalks 
should  be  cut  off  before  the  blossoms  begin  to  fade 
at  all. 

229.  LEEK. — There  are  two  sorts;  the  narrow- 
leaved,  and  the  flag-leek,  the  latter  of  which  is  by 
much  the  best — Some  people  like  leeks  better  than 
onions;  and  they  are  better  in  soup. — Sow  in  the 
fall,  or,  as  early  in  the  spring  as  you  can. — About 


144  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

four  yards  square  is  enough.  Put  the  rows  eight 
inches  asunder,  and  tliMi  the  plants  to  three  inches 
apart  in  the  row.  Hf  e  deeply  and  frequently  be- 
tween the  plants  till  the  middle  of  July,  and  then 
take  the  plants  up,  cut  their  roots  off  to  an  inch 
long,  and  cut  off  the  leaves  also  a  good  way  down. 
Make  trenches,  like  those  for  Celery  (which  see,) 
only  not  more  than  half  as  deep,  and  half  as  wide 
apart.  Manure  the  trenches  with  rotten  dung,  or 
other  rich  manure.  Put  in  the  plants  as  you  do  the 
Celery  plants,  and  plant  about  five  inches  asunder 
As  the  Leeks  grow,  earth  them  up  by  degrees  like 
Celery  ;  and,  at  last,  you  will  have  Leeks  18  inches 
long  under  ground,  and  as  thick  as  your  wrist. 
One  of  these  is  worth  a  dozen  of  poor  little  hard 
things.  If  you  have  a  row  across  one  of  the  Plats 
it  will  be  plenty,  perhaps.  Such  row  will  contain 
about  a  hundred  and  sixty.  One  third  may  be  used, 
perhaps,  before  the  winter  sets  in  :  another  third 
taken  up  and  put  by  for  winter,  in  precisely  the 
same  way  that  Celery  rs  ;  the  other  third,  covered 
in  the  same  way  that  Celery  is,  will  be  ready  for 
spring  use. — See  Celery. — Three  Leeks  planted  out 
for  seed,  will  ripen  their  seed  in  August,  and  will 
give  you  seed  enough  for  the  next  year,  and  some 
to  give  to  five  or  six  neighbours. 

230.  LETTUCE.— This  great  article  of  the  gar- 
den is  milky,  refreshing,  and  pleasanter  to  a  majority 
of  tastes  than  any  other  plant,  the  Asparagus  hardly 
excepted.  So  necessary  is  it  as  the  principal  ingre- 
dient of  a  good  salad,  that  it  is,  both  in  France  and 
England,  called  "  salad"  by  great  numbers  of  peo- 
ple. It  is  good  in  stews  ;  good  boiled  with  green- 
peas  ;  and,  even  as  a  dish  boiled  as  cabbage  is,  it 
is  an  excellent  vegetable.  Yet,  I  never  saw  a  really 
line  Lettuce  in  America.  The  obstacles  are,  the 


1V.J  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  145 

complete  impossibility  of  preserving  plants  of  the 
fine  sorts  in  the  natural  ground  during  the  winter; 
and  the  great  heat,  which  will  not  suffer  those  sorts 
to  loave,  if  they  be  sowed  in  the  natural  ground  in 
the  spring. — The  hardy  sorts  are  the  green  cab- 
bage-lettuce (or  hardy  green,)  and  the  brown-cab- 
bage. These  are  flat  plants.  Their  outside  leaves 
spread  forth  upon  the  ground,  and  they  curl  into  a 
sort  of  loaf  in  the  centre.  The  plants  of  these  may 
be  preserved  through  the  winter  in  the  natural 
ground,  in  the  manner  directed  for  Endive  plants, 
(which  see  under  Endive)  and  may  be  sowed  at  the 
same  time  for  that  purpose.  But  these  are  very 
poor  things.  They  have,  though  bleached  at  the 
heart,  a  slimy  feel  in  the  mouth;  and  are  not  crisp 
and  refreshing.  There  are,  I  believe,  twenty  sorts, 
two  of  which  only  it  will  be  enough  to  mention, 
green-coss  and  white-coss,  the  former  of  which  is  ot 
a  darker  green  than  the  latter,  is  rather  hardier,  and 
not  quite  so  good.  These,  when  true  to  their  kind 
and  in  a  proper  situation,  rise  up,  and  fold  in  their 
leaves  to  a  solid  loaf,  like  a  sugar-loaf  cabbage,  and, 
in  rich  land,  with  good  management,  they  will  be- 
come nearly  as  large.  When  you  cut  one  of  these 
from  the  stem,  and  pull  off  its  outside  leaves,  you 
have  a  large  lump  of  white  enough  for  a  salad  for 
ten  people,  unless  they  be  French,  and,  then  you 
must  have  a  lettuce  to  every  person.  Every  body 
knows  how  to  sow  lettuce-seed  along  a  drill,  in  the 
spring,  to  let  the  plants  stand  as  thick  as  grass,  and 
to  cut  it  along  with  a  knife,  and  gather  it  up  by 
handfuls.  But,  this  is  not  lettuce.  It  is  herbage. 
and  really  fit  only  for  pigs  and  cows.  It  is  a  raw, 
green,  Dandelion,  and  is  not  quite  so  good. — The 
plants  of  these  fine  sorts  may,  indeed,  be  kept 
through  the  winter  in  the  same  manner,  and  with 
13 


146  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Cliap 

the  same  care,  as  Cauliflower  plants  (which  see  in 
Paragraph  209  ;)  but,  if  this  be  not  done,  you  must 
raise  them  in  the  spring  in  precisely  the  same  way 
as  the  very  earliest  cabbage-plants,  for  which  see 
Paragraph  from  77  to  94. — Put  the  plants  out  into 
the  natural  ground,  about  a  fortnight  before  the  ge- 
neral Corn-planting  time.  Do  not  put  them  in  a 
place  full  to  the  sun  ;  but  in  the  east  borders,  or  in 
the  west  border.  Make  the  ground  rich,  right 
strong,  break  it  well,  and,  in  transplanting,  keep 
as  much  earth  as  you  can  about  the  roots,  and  give 
a  little  water ;  and  transplant  in  the  evening. — 
These  plants  will  loave  about  the  time  of  the  early 
cabbages,  arid  some  of  them  will  not  go  off  to  seed 
for  six  weeks  after  they  are  loaved.  So  that,  about 
two  square  feet  of  a  hot-bed  will  give  you  a  great 
quantity  of  real  lettuces. — Let  one  plant  (a  very 
fine  one)  stand  for  seed;  and  it  will  give  you  plenty 
of  seed  for  a  year  or  two. — Whenever  you  trans- 
plant Lettuces,  give  them  a  little  water,  and,  if  \\ 
be  a  small  bed,  shade  them  a  little.  If  you  sow  in 
the  natural  ground  in  the  spring,  be  sure  to  trans 
plant  into  the  shady  borders. — And  be  sure  always 
to  make  the  ground  rich  for  these  fine  Lettuces. 

231.  MANGEL-WURZEL.— This  may  be  called 
Cattle-beet.     Some  persons  plant  it  in  gardens.    It 
is  a  coarse  Beet,  and  is  cultivated  and  preserved  as 
the  Beet  is. 

232.  MARJORAM.— One  sort   is   annual   and 
one  perennial.     The  former  is  called  summer  and 
the  latter  winter.     The  first  sown  as  ?arly  as  pos- 
sible in  the  spring ;  and,  the  latter  propagated  by 
vjfsets  ;  that  is,  by  parting  the  roots.     The  plants 
may  stand  pretty  close.     As  the  winter  sort  cannot 
be  got  at  in  winter,  some  of  both  oughf  to  be  pre 
served  by  drying.     Cut  it  just  before  it  ipmrs  out 


IV. f  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  147 

into  bloom,  hang  it  up  in  little  bunches  to  dry,  first, 
for  a  day,  in  the  sun  ;  then  in  the  shade  ;  and,  when 
quite  dry,  put  it  in  paper  bags,  tied  up,  and  the  bags 
hung  up  in  a  dry  place. 

233.  MARIGOLD. — An  ANNUAL  plant.  Sow  the 
seed,  spring  or  fall ;  when  the  bloom  is  at  full, 
gather  the  flowers  ;  pull  the  leaves  of  the  flower  out 
of  their  sockets ;  lay  them  on  paper  to  dry,  in  the 
shade.    "When  dry  put  them  into  paper  bags.    They 
are  excellent  in  broths  and  soups  and  stews.    Two 
square  yards  planted  with  Marigolds  will  be  suffi- 
cient.    It  is  the  single  Marigold  that  ought  to  be 
cultivated  for  culinary  purposes.     The  double  one 
is  an  ornamental   flower,   and  a  very  mean   one 
indeed. 

234.  MELON. — There  are,  all  the  world  knows, 
two  distinct  tribes  :  the  Musk,  and  the  Water.    Ot 
the  former  the  sorts  are  endless,  and,  indeed,  of  the 
latter  also.     Some  of  both  tribes  are  globular  and 
others  oblong ;  and,  in  both  tribes  there  are  differ- 
ent colours,  as  well  with  regard  to  flesh  as  to  rind. — 
In  this  fine  country,  where  they  all  come  to  perfec- 
tion in  the   natural  ground,  no  distinction  is  made 
as  to  earliness,  or  lateness  in  sorts ;  and,  in  other 
respects,  some  like  one  sort  best  and  some  another. 
Amongst  the  Musk  melons,  the  Citron  is,  according 
to  my  taste,  the  finest  by  far ;  and  the  finest  Water 
melons  that  I   have   ever  tasted  were  raised  from 
seed  that  came  out  of  melons  grown  in  Georgia. — 
As  to  the  manner  of  propagating,  cultivating,  and 
sowing  the  seed  of  melons,  see  Cucumber,  and  only 
observe,  that  all  that  is  there  said  applies  to  melons 
as  well  as  to  cucumbers.    To  have  melons  a  month 
earlier  than  the  natural  ground   sowings  will  pro- 
duce them  is  an  object  of  much  greater  importance 
than  to  have  cucumbers  so  much  earlier;  and,  to 


148  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

accomplish  that  object,  you  have  only  ID  use  the 
game  means,  in  every  respect,  that  I  have  described 
for  the  getting  of  early  cucumbers.  The  soil  should 
be  rich  for  melons  ;  but  it  ought  not  to  be  freshly 
dunged  ;  for  that  is  apt  to  rot  the  plants,  especially 
in  a  wet  year.  They  like  a  light  and  rather  sandy 
soil,  and,  any  where  near  the  sea,  wood  ashes,  or 
sopers'  ashes,  is,  probably,  the  best  manure,  and 
especially  in  dry-bottomed  land  ;  for  ashes  attract 
and  retain  the  moisture  of  the  atmosphere.  It  is  a 
great  mistake  to  suppose,  that  ashes  are  of  a  burn- 
ing quality.  They  always  produce  the  most  and 
best  effect  in  dry  bottomed  land. — Melons  should  be 
cultivated  well  You  should  leave  but  one  plant  in 
a  hill;  and  should  till  the  ground  between  the 
plants,  while  they  are  growing,  until  it  be  covered 
by  the  vines.  If  the  plants  stand  too  close,  the 
vines  will  be  weak,  and  fruit  small,  thick-rinded, 
and  poor  as  to  flavour. 

235.  MINT. — There  are  two  sorts  ;  one  is  of  a 
darker  green  than  the  other  :  the  former  is  called 
pepper-mint,  and  is  generally  used  for  distilling'  to 
make  mint  water  :  the  latter,  which  is  called  spear- 
mint, is  used  for  the  table,  in  many  ways.  The 
French  snip  a  little  into  their  salads  ;  we  boil  a 
bunch  amongst  green  peas,  to  which  it  gives  a  plea 
sant  flavour  ;  chopped  up  small,  and  put,  along  with 
sugar,  into  vinegar,  we  use  it  as  sauce  for  roasted 
lamb ;  and  a  very  pleasant  sauce  it  is. — Mint  may 
be  propagated  from  seed  ;  but.  a  few  bits  of  its 
roots  will  spread  into  a  bed  in  a  year. — To  have  it 
in  winter,  preserve  it  precisely  like  Marjoram  (which 
see,)  and,  instead  of  chopping  it  for  sauce,  crumble 
it  between  your  fingers. 

•236.  MUSTARD  — Thpre  is  a  white  seeded  ?ort 
and  a  brown  seeded.     The  white  mustard  is  used  in 


TV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  149 

salads  along  with  the  Cress,  or  Pepper-Grass,  and 
is  sown  and  cultivated  in  the  same  way.  (See 
Cress.)  The  black  is  that  which  table-mustard  is 
made  of. — It  is  sown  in  rows,  two  feet  apart,  early 
in  the  spring.  The  plants  ought  to  be  thinned  to 
lour  or  rive  inches  apart.  Good  tillage  between  the 
rows.  The  seed  will  be  ripe  in  July,  and  then  the 
stalks  should  be  cut  off,  and,  when  quite  dry,  the 
seed  threshed  out,  and  put  by  for  use. — Why  should 
any  man  that  has  a  garden  buy  mustard  ?  "Why 
should  he  want  the  English  to  send  him  out,  in  a 
bottle,  and  sell  him  for  a  quarter  of  a  dollar,  less 
and  worse  mustard  than  he  can  raise  in  his  garden 
for  a  penny  ?  The  English  mustard  is,  in  general,  a 
thing  fabricated,  and  is  as  false  as  the  glazed  and 
pasted  goods,  sent  out  by  the  fraudulent  fabricators 
of  Manchester.  It  is  a  composition  of  baked  bones 
reduced  to  powder,  some  wheat  flour,  some  colour- 
ing,  and  a  drug  of  some  sort  that  gives  the  pun 
gent  taste.  Whoever  uses  that  mustard  freely  will 
find  a  burning  in  his  inside  long  after  he  has  sic  al- 
lowed the  mustard.  W7hy  should  any  man,  who 
has  a  garden,  buy  this  poisonous  stuff?  The  mus- 
tard-seed ground  in  a  little  mustard  mill  is  what 
he  ought  to  use.  He  will  have  bran  and  all ;  and 
his  mustard  will  not  look  yellow  like  the  English 
composition  ;  but,  we  do  not  object  to  Rye-bread 
on  account  of  its  colour  !  Ten  pounds  of  Iseed  will 
grow  upon  a  perch  of  ground  ;  and  ten  pounds  of 
mustard  is  more  than  any  man  can  want  in  a  year. 
The  plants  do  not  occupy  the  ground  more  than 
fourteen  weeks,  and  may  be  followed  by  another 
crop  of  any  plant,  and  even  of  mustard  if  you  like. 
This,  therefore,  is  a  very  useful  plant,  arid  ought  to 
be  cultivated  by  every  farmer,  and  every  man 
has  a 


150  THE    AMERICAN    GARPENKR.  [Chap. 

237.  NASTURTIUM.— An  annual   plant,  with 
a  half-red  half-yellow  flower,  which  has  an  oflfen* 
eive  smell ;  but,  it  bears  a  seed  enveloped  in  a  fleshy 
pod,  and  that  pod,  taken  before  the  seed  becomes 
ripe,  is  used  as  a  thing  to  pickle. — The  seeds  should 
be  sown  in  the  fall,  or  very  early  in  the  spring. 
The  plants  should  have  pretty  long  bushy  sticks 
put  to  them  ;  and  four  or  five  of  them  will  bear  a 
great  quantity  of  pods. — They  will  grow  in  almost 
any  ground  ;  but,  the  better  the  ground  the  fewer 
of  them  are  necessary. 

238.  ONION.— This  is  one  of  the  main  vegeta- 
bles.    Its  uses   are    many,    and  they  are  all  well 
known.      The   modes   of  cultivation  for  crop  are 
various.      Three  I  shall  mention,  and  by  either  a 
good  crop  may  be  raised. — Sow  in  the  fall  (See  Pa- 
ragraph   159,)   or  early  in  the   Spring.      Let  the 
ground  be  rich,  but  not  from  fresh  dung.     Make 
the  ground  very  fine;  make  the  rows  a  foot  apart, 
and  scatter  the  seed  thinly  along  a  drill  two  inches 
deep.     Then  fill  in  the  drills  ;  and  then  press  the 
earth  down  upon  the  seed  by  treading  the  ground 
all  over.     Then  give   the   ground   a   very   slight 
smoothing  over  with  a  rake. — When  the  plants  get 
to  be  three  inches  high,  thin  them   to  four  inches, 
or  to  eight  inches  if  you  wish  to  have  very  large 
onions. — Keep  the  ground  clear  of  weeds  by  hoeing,' 
but,  do  not  hoe  deep,  nor  raise  earth  about  the 
plants  ;  for  these  make  them  run  to  neck  and  not  to 
bulk. — When  the  tips   of  the  leaves  begin   to  be 
brown,  bend  down  the  necks,  so  that  the  leaves  lie 
flat  with  the  ground.     When  the  leaves  are  nearlv 
dead,  pull  up  the  onions,  and  lay  them  to  dry,  in 
order  to  be  put  away  for  winter  use. — Some  per- 
sons, instead  of  sowing  the  onions  all  along  the 
drill   drop  four  or  five  seeds  at  every  six  or  seve» 


IV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  151 

inches  distance  ;  and  leave  the  onions  to  grow  thus, 
in  clumps ;  and  this  is  not  a  bad  way  ;  for,  they 
will  squeeze  each  other  out.  They  will  not  be  large; 
but,  they  will  be  ripe  earlier,  and  will  not  run  to 
neck. — The  third  mode  of  cultivation  is  as  follows : 
sow  the  onions  any  time  between  April  and  the 
middle  of  June,  in  drills  six  inches  apait,  and  put 
the  seed  very  thick  along  the  drills.  Let  ail  the 
plants  stand,  and  they  will  get  to  be  about  as  big 
round  as  the  top  of  your  little  finger.  Then  the 
leaves  will  get  yellow,  and,  when  that  is  the  case, 
pull  up  the  onions  and  lay  them  on  a  board,  till  the 
sun  have  withered  up  the  leaves.  Then  take  these 
diminutive  onions,  put  them  in  a  bag,  and  hang  them 
up  in  a  dry  place  till  spring.  As  soon  as  the  frost 
is  gone,  and  the  ground  dry,  plant  out  these  onions 
in  good  and  fine  ground,  in  rows  a  foot  apart. 
Make,  not  drills,  but  little  marks  along  the  ground: 
and  put  the  onions  at  six  or  eight  inches  apart.  Do 
not  cover  them  with  the  earth  ;  but  just  press  them 
down  upon  the  mark  with  your  thumb  and  fore- 
ringer.  The  ground  ought  to  be  trodden  and  slight- 
ly raked  again  before  you  make  the  marks ;  for  no 
earth  should  rise  up,  about  the  plants. — Pioceed 
after  this  as  with  sown  onions;  only  observe,  that, 
if  any  should  be  running  up  to  seed,  you  must 
twist  down  the  neck  as  soon  as  you  perceive  it. 
But,  observe  this :  the  shorter  the  time  that  these 
onions  h?.ve  been  in  the  ground  the  year  before,  the 
less  likely  will  they  be  to  run  to  seed. — Preserving 
onions  is  an  easy  matter.  Frost  never  hurts  them, 
unless  you  move  them  during-  the  time  that  they  are 
frozen.  Any  dry,  airy  place,  will,  therefore,  do. 
They  should  not  be  kept  in  a  warm  place  ;  for  they 
vf\\\Leat  and  grow.  The  neatest  way  is  to  tie  them 
up  in  roprs  ;  that  is  to  say,  to  tie  them  round  sticks, 


J52  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap, 

or  straight  straw,  with  matting  (See  Endive.} — • 
For  seed,  pick  out.  the  finest  onions,  and  plant  them 
out  in  rich  land,  in  the  spring. — To  grow  this  seed 
upon  a  large  scale,  plough  the  land  into  four  feet 
ridges,  lay  plenty  of  dung  along  the  furrows,  plough 
the  ground  back  over  the  dung,  flatten  the  top  of 
the  ridge  a  little,  and  put  along,  on  the  top  of  the 
ridge  two  rows  of  onions,  the  rows  seven  inches 
apart,  and  the  onions  seven  inches  apart  in  the 
rows.  When  the  weeds  come,  hoe  the  tops  of  the 
ridg.es  with  a  small  hoe,  and  plough  first  from  and 
then  to  the  ridges,  two  or  three  times,  at  the  distance 
of  two  or  three  weeks,  as  in  the  case  of  Ruta  Baga, 
cultivated  in  the  field. — When  the  seed  is  ripe,  cut 
off  the  heads  and  collect  them  in  such  a  way  as  not 
to  scatter  the  seed.  Lay  them  on  cloths,  in  the 
sun,  till  dry  as  dust ;  and  then  thresh  out  the  seed, 
•winnow  it,  and  put  it  away.  The  seed  will  be  dead 
ripe  in  August,  and  transplanted  Ruta  Baga,  or 
Early  York  Cabbages,  or  even  Kidney  dwarf  beans, 
or,  perhaps,  Buckwheat,  may  follow  upon  the  same 
ground,  the  same  year. — In  a  garden  there  always 
ought  to  be  a  crop  to  succeed  seed-onions  the  same 
summer. 

239.  PARSLEY. — Known  to  every  human  be- 
ing to  bear  its  seed  the  second  year,  and,  after  that, 
to  die  away.  It  may  be  sown  at  any  season  when 
the  frost  is  out  of  tb'e  ground.  The  best  way  is  to 
sow  it  in  spring,  and  in  very  clean  ground  ;  because 
the  seed  lies  long  in  the  ground,  and,  if  the  ground 
be  foul,  the  weeds  choak  the  plants  at  their  coming 
up. — A  bed  of  six  feet  long  and  four  wide,  the  seed 
sown  in  drills  at  eight  inches  apart,  is  enough  for 
any  family  in  the  world. — But,  every  body  likes 
parsley,  and  where  the  winter  is  so  long  and  so 
sharp  as  it  is  in  this  country,  the  main  thing  is  to 


IV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  153 

be  able  to  keep  parsley  through  the  winter.  I  ?an 
not  be  preserved  dry,  with  success,  like  Mint,  Mar- 
joram, and  the  rest  of  the  pot-herbs.  It  is  possible 
to  preserve  it  green,  because  I  have  done  it ;  bul, 
it  loses  its  smell  and  flavour.  Therefore,  to  have 
Parsley  in  winter,  you  must  keep  it  alive.  If  you 
have  a  Green-house  (or  you  may  do  it  even  in  any 
ol*  the  window  seats  of  a  house)  half  a  dozen  flower- 
pots, planted  with  stout  plants  in  September,  and 
taken  into  the  house  in  November,  will  be  sufficient. 
As  soon  as  winter  breaks  up,  put  them  out  in  the 
natural  ground  ;  and  thus  you  have  plenty  of  Pars- 
ley all  the  year  round.  However,  Parsley  may,  be 
preserved  in  the  natural  ground.  You  have  only 
to  put  straw,  or  leaves  of  trees,  or  long  litter,  six 
inches  thick  on  the  bed,  and  to  lay  on  something  to 
prevent  the  covering  from  being  blown  off.  (See 
Endive.}  This  will  preserve  its  leaves  from  being 
destroyed  ;  and,  when  you  go  to  get  it,  you  miut 
lift  up  the  covering,  of  a  part  of  the  bed,  and  put  it 
down  again. 

240.  PARSNIP. — As  to  season  of  sowing,  sort 
of  land,  preparation  of  ground,  distances,  and  cul- 
tivation and  tillage,  precisely  the  same  as  the  Car- 
rot,  which  see,  Paragraph  208.     But,  as  to  preser- 
vation during  winter,  and  for  spring  use,  the  Pars- 
nip stands  all  frost  without  injury,   and  even  with 
benefit.    So  that,  all  you  want  is  to  put  up  for  win- 
ter as  many  as  you  want  during  the  hard  frost ;  and 
these  you  may  put  up  in  the  same  manner  as  directed 
for  Carrots  and  Beets. — The  greens  of  Parsnips  are 
as  good  for  cow  feed  as  those  of  Carrots ;  but,  if 
the  Parsnips  be  to  stand  out  in  the  ground  all  the 
winter,    the    greens   should   not  be  cut  off  in  the 
fall. 

241.  PEA. — This   is    one  of  those   vegetables 


154  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

which  all  men  most  like.  Its  culture  is  universal, 
where  people  have  the  means  of  growing  it.  The 
sorts  of  peas  are  very  numerous;  and  I  will  men 
tion  a  few  of  them  presently. — The  soil  should  be 
good,  and  fresh  dung-  is  good  manure  for  them. 
Ashes,  and  compost,  very  good ;  but  peas,  like  In- 
dian Corn,  will  bear  to  be  actually  sown  upon  dung. 
Never  were  finer  peas  grown  than  there  are  grown 
in  the  United  States ;  and,  as  we  shall  presently 
see,  they  may  be  had,  in  the  open  ground,  in  Long 
Island,  from  first  of  June  till  the  sharp  frosts  set 
in. — The  sorts  are  numerous,  one  class  is  of  a  small 
size  and  the  other  large.  The  latter  grow  taller, 
and  are  longer  in  coming  to  perfection,  than  the 
former.  The  earliest  of  all  is  the  little  white  pea, 
called,  in  Long  Island,  the  May-Pea,  and,  in  Eng- 
land, the  early  frame-pea.  Then  come  the  early 
Charleton,  the  Hotspur,  the  Blue  Pea,  the  Dwarf 
and  Tall  Marrowfats;  and  several  others,  espe- 
cially the  Knight  Pea,  the  seed  of  which  is  rough, 
uneven  shaped  and  shrivelled,  and  the  plant  of 
which  grows  very  tall. — All  the  sorts  may  be  grown 
in  America,  without  sticks,  and  even  better  than 
with.  I  have  this  year  (1819)  the  finest  peas  I  ever 
saw,  and  the  crop  the  most  abundant.  And  this  is 
the  manner,  in  which  I  have  sown  and  cultivated 
them.  I  ploughed  the  ground  into  ridges,  the  tops 
of  which  (for  the  dwarf  sorts)  were  four  feet  apart. 
I  then  put  a  good  parcel  of  yard-dung  into  the  fur- 
rows ;  and  ploughed  the  earth  back  upon  the  dung. 
I  then  levelled  the  top  of  the  ridge  a  little,  and  drew 
two  drills  along  upon  it  at  six  inches  distant  from 
each  other.  In  these  I  sowed  the  peas  When  the 
peas  were  about  three  inches  high,  I  hoed  the 
ground  deep  and  well  between  the  rows  and  on  each 
outside  of  them.  I  then  ploughed  the  ground  from 


(V.j  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  155 

them,  anil  to  them  again,  in  the  same  way  r.s  in  the 
case  of  Swedish  Turnips.  In  a  week  or  two  after- 
wards they  had  anr^her  ploughing;  and  soon  after 
this  they  fell,  and  lay  down  the  sides  of  the.  ridges. 
This  was  the  way  in  which  I  managed  all  the  sorts, 
only  in  the  case  of  the  Knight  Pea  I  put  the  ridges 
at  six  feet  asunder. — This  was,  of  every  sort,  tht 
very  finest  crop  of  peas  I  ever  saw  in  my  life 
When  not  sticked,  and  sown  upon  level  ground, 
peas  fall  about  irregularly,  and,  in  case  of  much 
wet,  the  under  pods  rot ;  but,  from  the  ridges  they 
fall  regularly,  and  the  wet  does  not  lodge  about 
them  You  walk  up  the  furrows  to  gather  the  peas  ; 
and  nothing  can  be  more  beautiful,  or  more  conve- 
nient. The  culture  in  the  garden  may  be  the  same, 
except  that  the  work  which  is  done  with  the  plough 
in  the  field,  must,  in  the  garden,  be  done  with  the 
spade. — As  to  seasons,  the  early  pea  may  be  sown 
in  the  fall.  See  Paragraph  159.  But,  in  this  case, 
care  must  be  taken  to  guard  against  mice.  Sow 
about  four  inches  deep,  and  tread  the  ground  well 
down.  When  the  frost  sets  in,  all  is  safe  till  winter 
breaks  up.  These  peas  will  be  earlier  by  ten  or 
fifteen  days  than  any  that  you  can  sow  in  the 
spring. — If  you  sow  in  ihe  spring,  do  it  as  soon  as 
the  ground  is  dry  enough  to  go  upon.  Sow  the 
May  Pea,  some  Charletons,  some  Hotspurs,  some 
Blue*  Peas,  some  Marrowfats,  and  some  Knight  Pea, 
all  at  the  same  time,  and  they  will  come  one  after 
another,  so  as  to  give  you  green  peas  till  nearly 
August.  In  June  (about  the  middle)  sow  some 
early  pea  again  and  also  somt;  Marrowfats  and 
Knight  Pea  ;  and  these  will  give  you  peas  till  Sep- 
tember. Sow  some  of  each  sort  middle  of  August, 
and  they  will  give  you  green  peas  till  the  hardish 
frosts  come. — But,  these  two  last  sowings  (June 


156  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

and  August)  ought  to  be  under  the  South  feace,  so 
as  to  get  as  much  coolness  as  possible. 

242.  PENNYROYAL.— A  medicinal  herb.    It  w 
perennial.    A  little  patch,  a  foot  square,  is  enough. 

243.  PEPPER.     See  Capsicum. 

244.  PEPPER  GRASS.     See  Cress. 

245.  POTATOE. — Every  body  knows  how  to 
cultivate   this  plant ;  and,   as   to  its   preservation 
during  winter,  if  you  can  ascertain   the  degree  ol 
warmth  necessary  to  keep  a  baby  from  perishing, 
you  know  precisely  the  precautions  required  to  pre- 
serve a  potatoe. — As  to  sorts,  they  are  as  numerous 
as  the  stones  of  a  pavement  in  a  large  city  ;  but, 
there  is  one  sort  earlier  than  all  others.     It  is  a 
small,  round,  white  potatoe,  that  has  no  blossom, 
and  the  leaf  of  which  is  of  a  pale  green,  very  thin, 
very  smooth,  and  nearly  of  the  shape  and  size  of 
the  inside  of  a  lemon  cut  asunder  longways.     This 
potatoe,  if  planted  with  other  sorts  in  the  spring, 
will  be  ripe  six  weeks  sooner  than  any  other  sort. 
I  have  had  two  crops  of  this  potatoe  ripen  on  the 
same  ground  in  the  same  year,  in  England,  the  se- 
cond crop  from  potatoes  of  the  first.     Two  crops 
could  be  raised  in  America  with  the  greatest  facili- 
ty.— But,   if  you  once   get  this  sort,  and  wish  to 
keep  it,  you  must  take  care  that  no  other  sort  grow 
with  it,  or  near  it ;  for,   potatoes   of  this  kind  mix 
the  breed  more  readily  than  any  thing  els-e,  though 
they  have  no  bloom  !    If  some  plants  of  this  bios- 
somless  kind  grow  with  or  near  the  other  kinds, 
they  will  produce  plants  with  a  rough  leaf,  some  of 
them  will  even  btow,  and  they  will  lose  their  quali- 
ty of  earliness.     This  is  quite  enough  to  prove  the 
fallacy  of  the  doctrine  of  a  communication  of  the 
farina  of  the  flowers  of  plants. 

246.  POTATOE  (Sweet.)— This  plant  is  culti. 


IV    ]  THF.    AMERiCAX    GARDENER.  157 

rated  in  much  the  same  way  as  the  last.  Heat  is 
what  it  chiefly  wants;  and  great  care  indeed  must 
be  taken  to  preserve  it  in  winter. 

247.  PUMPKIN.— See  Cucumber.     The  culti- 
vation is  the  same,  and  every  body  knows  the  dif- 
ferent qualities  of  the  different  sorts,  and  how  to 
preserve  and  use  them  all 

248.  PURSLANE. — A  mischievous  weed   that 
Frenchmen  and  pigs  eat  when  they  can  get  nothing 
else.     Both  use  it  in  salad,  that  is  to  say,  raw. 

249.  RADISH. — A  great  variety  of  sorts.    Sown 
thin  in  little  drills  six  inches  asunder.     Sown  as 
early  as    possible  in   the  spring,  and  a  little  bed 
every  three   weeks  all  summer  long.     The  early 
scarlet  is  the  best.     Radishes  may  be  raised  early 
in  a  hot-bed  precisely  as  cabbage-plants  are. 

250.  RAMPION.— This  is  the   smallest  seed  of 
which   we  have   any  knowledge.     A  thimble  full, 
properly  distributed,  would  sow  an  acre  of  land. 
It  is  sown  in  the   spring,  in  very  fine  earth.     Its 
roots  are  used  in  so»ups  and  salads.     Its  leaves  are 
also  used  in  salads.     A  yard  square  is  enough  for 
any  orarden. 

251.  RAPE. — This  is  a  field-plant  for  sheep  ; 
but  it  is  very  good  to  sow  like  White  Mustard,  to 
use  as  salad,  and  it  is  sown  and  raised  in  the  same 
way. 

252.  RHUBARB. — This  is  one  of  the  capital 
articles  of  the  garden,  though  I  have  neven  seen  it 
in  America.     The  Dock  is  the  wild  Rhubarb,  and 
if  you  look  at,  and  taste,  the  root,  you  will  see  the 
proof  of  it.    The  Rhubarb  plant  has  leaves  as  broad 
and  long  as  those  of  the  burr^dock.    Its  comes  forth, 
like  the  dock,  very  early  in  the  spring.     When  its 
leaves  are  pretty  large,   you  cut  them  off  f lose  to 
the  stem,  and,  if  the  plant  be  fine,  the  stalk  of  the 

14 


ii>3  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENLR.  [Chap. 

leaf  will  be  from  eight  inches  to  a  foot  long.  You 
peel  the  outside  skin  from  these  stalks,  arid  then 
cut  the  stalks  up  into  bits  about  as  big  as  the  first 
joint  of  a  lady's  third  finger.  You  put  these  into 
puddings,  pies,  tarts,  just  as  you  would  green  goose- 
berries and  green  currants,  and  some  people  think 
they  are  better  than  either  :  at  any  rate,  they  are 
full  six  weeks  earlier. — The  plant,  like  the  dock,  is 
hardy,  is  raised  from  seed,  from  the  roots,  will  grow 
in  any  ground,  though  best  in  rich  ground  ;  and  the 
same  plants  will  last  for  an  age.  It  is  a  very  valu- 
able plant,  and  no  garden  ought  to  be  without  it.  I 
should  think,  that  a  hundred  wagon-loads  of  the 
stalks  are  yearly  sold  in  London.  A  bunch  which 
you  can  clasp  with  your  two  hands  sells  for  a  shil- 
ling or  two  in  the  very  early  part  of  the  season  ; 
and  that  is  nearly  half  a  dollar.  This  circumstance 
sufficiently  speaks  its  praise. 

253.  ROSEMARY  is   a   beautiful  little    shrub. 
One  of  them  may  be  enough  in  a  garden.    It  is  pro- 
pagated   from  slips,   taken  off  in   the   spring  and 
planted  in  a  cool  place. 

254.  RUE. — Still  more  beautiful.      Propagated 
in  the    same   manner.     One  plant  of  the  kind  is 
enough. 

255.  RUTABAGA.— (See  Turnip.) 

256.  SAGE  is  raised  from  seed,  or  from  slips. 
To  have  it  at  hand  for  winter  it  is  necessary  to  dry 
it ;  and  it  ought  to  be  cut,  for  this  purpose,  before, 
it  comes  out  into  bloom,  as,  indeed,  is  the  case  with 
all  other  herbs. 

257.  SALSAFY,  called,  by  some,  oyster  plant. 
is  good  in  soups,  or  to  eat  like  the  parsnip.     It  is 
cultivated  like  the  parsnip,  and,  like  it,  stands  out 
the  whole  of  an  American  winter. 

258.  SAMPHIRE  is  propagated  from  seed,  of 


IV  ',  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  159 

from  offsets.    It  is  perennial,  and  is  sometimes  used 
as  a  pickle,  or  in  salads. 

259.  SAVORY. — Two  sorts,  summer  and  win- 
ter.    The  former  is  annual,  and  the  latter  perennial 

260.  SAVOY.— See  Cabbage,  Paragraph  201. 

261.  SCORZENERA.— This    is    only    another 
kind  of  SALSAFY.     It  is  cultivated  and  used  in  the 
same  manner  as  Salsafy  is. 

262.  SHALQT.— A  little  sort  of  Onion,  which 
is  taken  up   in  the  fall   and  kept  for  winter  use. 
Each  plant  multiplies  itself  in  the  summer  by  add- 
ing offsets  all  round  it.     One  of  them  is  a  plant  to 
put  out  in  the  spring  to  produce  other  offsets  for 
use  and  for  planting  out  again.     They  should  be 
planted  in  rows  six  inches  apart,  and  four  inches 
apart  in  the  rows.     The  ground  should  not  be  wet 
at  bottom,  and  should  be  kept  very  clean  during  the 
summer. 

263.  SKIRRET  is  cultivated  for  its  root,  which 
is  used  in  soups.     It  may  be  raised  from  seed,  or 
from  offsets.     It  is   perennial,    and  a  very  small 
patch  may  suffice. 

264.  SORREL.— This  is  no  other  than  the  wild 
sorrel  cultivated.   It  is  propagated  from  seed,  or  from 
offsets.     It  is  perennial.     The  French  make  large 
messes  of  it ;  but  a  foot  square  may  suffice  for  an 
American  garden. 

265.  SPINACH.— Every  one  knows  how  good 
and  useful  a  plant  this  is.    It  is  certainly  preferable 
to  any  of  the  cabbage  kind  in  point  of  wholesome- 
ness,  and  it  is  of  very  easy  cultivation.     There  is, 
in  fact,   but  one  sort,  that  I  know  any  thing  of, 
though  the  seed  is  sometimes  more  prickly  than  at 
other  times.     To  have   spinach   very  early  in  the 
spring,  sow  (Longlsland)  on  or  about  the  first  week 
of  September,  in  drills  a  foot  apart,  and,  when  the 


ICO  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

plants  are  well  up,  thin  them  to  six  inches.  The? 
will  be  fine  arid  strong  by  the  time  that  the  winter 
sets  in ;  and,  as  soon  as  that  time  comes,  cover 
them  over  wrell  with  straw,  and  keep  the  straw  on 
till  the  breaking  up  of  the  frost. — Sow  more  as 
soon  as  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground  ;  and  this  will 
be  in  perfection  in  June. — You  may  sow  again  in 
May  ;  but  the  plants  will  go  off  to  seed  before  they 
attain  to  much  size. — If  you  save  seed,  save  it  from 
plants  that  have  stood  the  winter. 

266.  SQUASH  is,  in  all  its  varieties,  cultivated 
like  the  Cucumber,  which  see. 

267.  TANSY,  a  perennial  culinary  and  medici- 
nal herb,  propagated  from  seed,  or  offsets.     One 
root  in  a  garden  is  enough. 

268.  TARRAGON  is  a  very  hot,  peppery  herb. 
It  is  used  in  soup  and  salads.     It  is  perennial,  and 
may  be  propagated  from  seed,  or  from  offsets,  or 
slips,  put  out  in  spring.     Its  young  and  tender  tops 
only  are  used.    It  is  eaten  with  beef-steaks  in  com- 
pany with  minced  shalote.     A  man  may  live  very 
well  without  it ;  but,  an  Englishman  once  told  me, 
that  he  and  six  others  once  eat  some  beef-steaks 
with  Shalots  and  Tarragon,  and  that  "  they  voted 
unanimously,     that    beef-steaks    never     were     so 
eaten  !"    It  must  be  dried,  like  mint,  for  winter  use. 

269.  THYME. — There   are   two    distinct  sorts. 
Both  are  perennial,  and  both  may  be  propagated 
either  from  seed,  or  from  offsets. 

270.  TOMATUM.— This  plant  comes  from  the 
countries    bordering   on    the    Mediterranean.       In 
England  it  requires  to  be  raised   in  artificial  heat, 
and  to  be  planted  out  against  warm  \valls.     Here  it 
would  require  neither.     It  climbs  up  very  high, 
and  would  require  bushy  sticks.     It  bears  a  sort  of 
apple  about  as  big  as  a  black  walnut  with  its  green 


IV.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  1G1 

husk  on.  This  fruit  is  used  to  thicken  stews  and 
soups,  and  great  quantities  are  sold  in  London.  It 
is  raised  from  seed  only,  being  an  annual ;  and  the 
seed  should  be  sown  at  a  great  distance,  seeing  that 
the  plants  occupy  a  good  deal  of  room. 

271.  TURNIP. — It  is  useless  to  attempt  to  raise 
them  by  sowing  in  the  spring :  they  are  never  good 
till  the  fall. — The  sorts  of  Turnips  are  numerous, 
but,  for  a  garden,  it  is  quite  sufficient  to  notice 
three  ;  the  early  white,  the  fiat  yellow,  and  the 
Swedish,  or  Rutabaga,  which  last  is  a  very  differ- 
ent plant  indeed  from  the  other  two. — The  two  for- 
mer sorts  should  be  sown  about  the  end  of  July,  in 
rows  (in  a  garden)  two  feet  apart,  and  thinned  out 
to  a  foot  distance  in  the  rows.  Good  and  deep  hoe- 
ing and  one  digging  should  take  place  during  their 
growth  ;  for,  a  large  turnip  of  the  same  age  is  bet- 
ter, weight  for  weight,  than  a  small  one,  just  as  the 
largest  apples,  or  peaches,  growing  upon  the  same 
tree,  are  better  than  the  small  ones  growing  on  it 
the  same  year. — The  Swedish  turnip,  so  generally 
preferred  for  table  use  here,  and  so  seldom  used  for 
the  table  in  England,  ought  to  be  sown  early  in 
June,  in  rows  at  a  foot  apart  and  thinned  to  three 
inches  in  the  rows.  About  the  middle  of  July  they 
ought  to  be  transplanted  upon  ridges  three  fee 

part  (in  a  garden,)  and  during  their  growth,  ough' 
.o  be  kept  clean,  and  to  be  dug  between  twice  at 
least,  as  deep  as  a  good  spade  can  be  made  to  go. — • 
As  to  the  preserving  of  turnips  during  the  winter, 
follow  precisely  the  direc'iions  given  for  the  pre- 
serving of  Beets.  See  Beet. — But  the  Swedish 
Turnip  is  of  further  use  as  producing  most  excel- 

ent  greens  in  the  spring,  and  at  a  very  early  sea- 
son.   To  draw  this  benefit  from  them,  the  best  way 
is,  te  leave  a  row  o^  two  in  the  ground,  and,  when 
14* 


Jf62  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

the  winter  is  about  to  set  in,  cover  them  all  ovei 
with  straw  or  cedar  boughs.  Take  these  off  when, 
the  winter  breaks  up,  and  you  will  have  very  early 
and  most  excellent  greens  ;  and,  when  you  have 
done  with  the  greens,  the  Turnips  are  verv  good 
to  eat. 

272.  WORMWOOD  is  an  herb  purely  medicinal. 
It  may  be  propagated  from  seed,  from  slips,  or  from 
offsets.  It  ought  not  to  occupy  a  space  of  more 
than  a  foot  square.  It  must  be  dried  and  put  by  in 
bags  for  winter  use. 


CHAPTER  V. 

FRUITS. 

Propagation,  Planting,  Cultivation. 

PROPAGATION. 

273.  All  the  Fruits  to  be  treated  of  here,  except 
the  Strawberry,    are   the  produce  of  trees  or  oi 
wood,/  plants.     All  these  may  be  propagated  from 
seed,  and  some  are  so  propagated.     But  others  are 
usually  propagated  by  cuttings,  slips,  layers,  or 
suckers :  or  by  budding-  or  grafting-  upon  stocks. 

274.  The  methods  of  propagation,  best  suited  to 
each  kind,  will  be  mentioned  under  the  name  of  the 
kinds  respectively ;  and,  therefore,  in  this  place  I 
am  to  describe  the  several  methods  generally,  and 
the  management  suited  to  each. 

275.  When    the    propagation  is   from  seed,  the 
sowing  should  be  in  good  ground,  finely  broken, 
and  the  seed  should  by  no  means  be  sown  too  thick. 
How  to  save  and  preserve  the  seed  will  be  spoken 
of  under  the  names  of  the  several  trees.    But,  the 


V'.J  THE    AMERICAS    GARDENER.  103 

seed  being  good,  it  should  be  well  sown,  well  so 
vered,  and  carefully  preserved  from  mice  and  othei 
vermin. 

2*76.  CUTTINGS  are  short  pieces,  cut  in  the 
spring,  from  shoots  of  the  last  year,  and  it  is,  in 
most  cases,  best,  if  they  have  a  joint  or  two  of  the 
former  year's  wood,  at  the  bottom  of  them.  The 
cutting  should  have  altogether,  about  six  joints,  or 
buds  ;  and  three  of  these  should  be  under  ground 
when  planted.  The  cuts  should  be  performed  with 
a  sharp  knife,  so  that  there  may  be  nothing  ragged 
or  bruised  about  either  wood  or  bark.  The  time 
for  taking  off  cuttings  is  that  of  the  breaking  up  of 
the  frost.  They  should  be  planted  in  a  shady  place, 
and  watered  with  rain  water,  in  dry  weather,  until 
they  have  got  shoots  several  inches  long,  \\hen 
they  have  such  shoots  they  have  roots,  and  when 
they  have  these,  no  more  watering  is  necessary. 
Besides  these  occasional  waterings,  tne  ground 
should,  especially  in  hot  countries,  be  covered  with 
leaves  of  trees,  or  muck,  or  something  that  will  keep 
the  ground  cool  during  the  hot  and  dry  weather. 

277.  SLIPS  differ  from  cuttings  in  this,  that  the 
former  are  not  cut,  but  pulled,  from  the  tree.  You 
take  a  shoot  of  the  last  year,  and  pull  it  down- 
wards, and  thus  slip  it  off.  You  trim  the  ragged 
back  off;  then  shorten  the  shoot  so  that  it  have  six 
joints  left;  and  then  plant  it  and  manage  it  in  the 
same  manner  as  directed  for  cuttings.  The  season 
for  the  work  is  also  the  same. 

273.  LAYERS.— You  take  a  limb,  or  branch  of 
a  tree,  in  the  fall,  or  early  in  Spring,  and  pull  it 
down  in  such  a  way  as  to  cause  its  top,  or  small 
shoots  and  twigs  to  lie  upon  the  ground.  Then 
fasten  the  limb  down  by  a  peg  or  two,  so  that  its 
own  force  will  not  raise  it  up.  Then  prune  off  all 


y04  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

the  small  branches  and  shoots  that  stick  upright ; 
and,  having  a  parcel  of  shoots  lying  horizontally, 
lay  earth  upon  the  whole,  all  along  upon  the  limb 
from  the  point  where  it  begins  to  touch  the  ground, 
and  also  upon  all  the  bottoms  of  all  the  shoots. 
Then  cut  the  shoots  off  at  the  points,  leaving  only 
two  or  three  joints  or  buds  beyond  the  earth.  The 
earth,  laid  on  should  be  good,  and  the  ground  should 
be  fresh-digged  and  made  very  fine  and  smooth  be- 
fore the  branches  be  laid  upon  it.  The  earth,  laid 
on,  should  be  from  six  inches  to  a  foot  thick.  If 
the  limb,  or  mother  branch,  be  very  stubborn,  a  lit- 
tle cut  on  the  lower  side  of  it  will  make  it  the  more 
easy  to  be  held  down.  The  ground  should  be  kept 
clean  from  weeds,  and  as  cool  as  possible  in  hot 
weather.  Perhaps  rocks  or  stones  (not  large)  are 
the  best  and  coolest  covering.  These  layers  will 
be  ready  to  take  up  and  plant  out  as  trees  after  they 
have  been  laid  a  year. 

279.  SUCKERS  are,  in  general,  but  poor  things, 
whether  in  the  forest,  or  in  the  fruit  garden.    They 
are  shoots  that  come  up/rom  the  roots,  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  stem  of  the  tree,  or,  at  least,  they 
do  not  come  out  of  that  stem.     They  run  to  wood 
and  to  suckers  more  than  trees  do  that  are  raised 
in  any  other  way.     Fruit  trees  raised  from  suckers 
do  not  bear  so  abundantly,  and  such  good  fruit,  as 
trees  raised  from  cuttings,  slips  or  layers.    A  suck- 
er is,  in  fact,  a  little  tree  with  more  or  less  of  root 
to  it,  and  is,  of  course,  to  be  treated  as  a  tree. 

280.  BUDDING. — To  have  fruit  trees  by  this 
method,  or  by  that  of  grafting,  you  must  first  have 
stocks  ;  that  is  to  say,  a  young  tree  to  bud  or  graft 
upon.     What  are  the  sorts  of  stocks  proper  foi 
the  sorts  of  fruit-trees  respectively  will   be  men- 
tioned under  the  names  of  the  latter.     The  stock 


V.J  THL    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  lG5 

is  a  young  tree  of  some  sort  or  otier,  and  the  bud 
is  put  into  the  bark  on  the  side  of  this  young  tree 
during  the  summer ;  and  not  before  the  bud  be  full 
and  plump.  The  work  may  generally  be  done  all 
through  the  months  of  July  and  August,  and,  per- 
haps, later. 

281.  GRAFTING  is  the  joining  of  a  cutting  of 
one  to  another  tree  in  such  a  way  as  that  the  tree, 
on  which  the  cutting  is  placed,  sends  up  its  sap 
into  the  cutting,  and  makes  it  grow  and  become  a 
tree.  Now,  as  to  the  way,  in  which  this,  and  the 
way  in  which  budding,  is  done,  they  cannot  upon 
any  principle  consistent  with  common  sense,  be- 
come matter  of  written  description.  Each  is  a 
mechanical  operation,  embracing  numerous  move- 
ments of  the  arms,  hands,  and  fingers,  and  is  no 
more  to  be  taught  by  written  directions  than  the 
making  of  a  chest  of  drawers  is.  To  read  a  full 
and  minute  account  of  the  acts  of  budding  and 
grafting  would  require  ten  times  the  space  of  time 
that  it  requires  to  go  to  a  neighbour's  and  learn, 
from  a  sight  of  the  operation,  that  which,  after  all, 
no  written  directions  would  ever  teach.  To  bud 
and  graft,  in  all  the  various  modes,  form  a  much 
nicer  and  more  complicated  operation  than  that  of 
making  a  shoe  ;  and  I  defy  any  human  being  to 
describe  adequately  all  the  several  acts  in  the 
making  of  a  shoe,  in  less  than  two  volumes,  each 
larger  than  this.  The  season  for  taking  off  the  cut- 
tings for  grafts,  is  any  time  between  Christmas  and 
March.  Any  time  after  the  sap  is  completely  in  a 
quiescent  state  and  before  it  be  again  in  motion. 
When  cut  off  they  will  keep  several  months.  I 
cut  some  here  in  January  last  (1819.)  They 
reached  England  in  March;  arid,  I  hear  that  they 
were  growing  well  in  June.  A  great  deal  has  been 


166  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

said  about  the  season  for  grafting,  and  Mr.  MAR 
SHALL  tells  the  English,  that  it  must  not  be  done 
till  the  sap  in  the  stock  is  just  ready  to  flow 
freely.  He  has  never  seen  an  American  Negro-man 
sitting  by  a  hot  six-plate  stove,  grafting  apple-trees 
in  the  month  of  January,  and  then  putting  them 
away  in  his  cave,  to  be  brought  out  and  planted  in 
April !  I  have  seen  this  ;  and  my  opinion  is,  that 
the  work  may  be  done  at  any  time  between  Oc- 
tober and  May  :  nay,  I  am  not  sure,  that  it  may 
not  be  done  all  the  summer  long.  The  cuttings 
too,  may  be  taken  oif,  and  put  on  directly ;  and, 
the  sooner  the  better  ;  but,  in  the  winter  months, 
they  will  keep  good  off  the  tree  for  several 
months, 

282.  STOCKS  must  be  of  different  ages  and 
sizes  in  different  cases  ;  and  even  the  propagation 
of  the  stocks  themselves  is  not  to  be  over-looked. 
Stocks  are  formed  out  of  suckers,  or  raised  from 
the  seed ;  and  the  latter  is  by  far  the  best ;  for 
suckers  produce  suckers,  and  do  not  grow  to  a 
handsome  stem,  or  trunk.  Crabs  are  generally 
the  stocks  for  Apple-grafts,  and  Plumbs  for  Pears, 
Peaches,  Nectarines,  and  Apricots.  However,  we 
shall  speak  of  the  sorts  of  Stocks,  suitable  to  each 
sort  of  fruit-tree  by  and  by  :  at  present  we  have  to 
speak  of  the  raising-  of  Stocks.  If  the  stocks  be 
to  be  of  crabs  or  apples,  the  seeds  of  these  should 
be  collected  in  the  fall  when  the  fruit  is  ripe. 
They  are  generally  got  out  by  mashing  the  crabs, 
or  apples.  When  the  seeds  are  collected,  put 
them  immediately  into  fine  earth  ;  or  sow  them  at 
once.  It  may  not,  however,  be  convenient  to  sow 
them  at  once  ;  and,  perhaps,  the  best  way  is  to  sow 
very  early  in  the  spring.  If  the  stocks  be  to  be  of 
etone  fruit,  the  stones,  as  of  cherries,  plumbs, 


-;|  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  167 

peaches,  and  others,  must  be  got  when  the  fruit  is 
ripe.  The  best  way  is  to  put  them  into  fine  earth, 
and  keep  them  there  till  spring.  The  earth  may 
he  placed  in  a  cellar  ;  or  put  into  a  barrel ;  or,  a 
little  pit  may  be  made  in  the  ground,  and  it  may 
be  placed  there.  When  the  winter  breaks  up,  dig 
a  piece  of  ground  deep  and  make  it  rich ;  make  it 
very  fine ;  form  it  into  beds,  three  feet  wide  ;  draw 
drills  across  it  at  8  inches  distance;  make  them 
from  two  to  three  inches  deep ;  put  in  the  seeds 
pretty  thick  (for  they  cost  little ;)  cover  them  com- 
pletely ;  tread  the  earth  down  upon  them  ;  and 
then  smooth  the  surface.  When  the  plants  come 
up,  thin  them  to  about  3  inches  apart ;  and  keep  the 
ground  between  them  perfectly  clean  during  the 
summer.  Hoe  frequently ;  but  not  deep  near  the 
plants;  for,  we  are  speaking  of  trees  here;  and 
trees  do  not  renew  their  roots  quickly  as  a  cabbage, 
or  a  turnip,  does.  These  young  trees  should  be 
kept,  during  the  first  summer,  as  moist  as  possible, 
without  watering ;  and  the  way  to  keep  them  as 
moist  as  possible  is  to  keep  the  ground  perfectly 
clean,  and  to  hoe  it  frequently.  I  cannot  help  ob- 
serving here  upon  an  observation  of  Mr.  MAR- 
SHALL :  "  as  to  weeding,"  says  he,  "  though  seed- 
ling trees  must  not  be  smothered,  yet  some  small 
weeds  may  be  suffered  to  grow  in  summer,  as  they 
help  to  shade  the  plants  and  keep  the  ground  cool." 
Mercy  on  this  Gentleman's  readers  !  Mr.  Marshall 
had  not  read  TTJLL  ;  if  he  had,  he  never  would 
have  written  this  very  erroneous  sentence.  It  is 
the  root  of  the  weed  that  does  the  mischief.  Let 
there  be  a  rod  of  ground  well  set  with  even  "  small 
jeeds,"  and  another  rod  kept  weeded.  Let  them 
tdjoin  each  other.  Go,  after  15  or  20  days  of  t!ry 
weather ;  examine  the  two  ;  and  you  will  find  the 


108  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  (Chap 

\veedlcrss  ground  moist  and  fresh,  while  the  other 
is  dry  as  dust  to  a  foot  deep.  The  root  of  the 
weed  sucks  up  every  particle  of  moisture.  What 
pretty  things  they  are,  then,  to  keep  seedling  trees 
cool ! — To  proceed  :  these  seedlings,  if  well  ma- 
naged, will  be  eight  inches  high,  arid  some  higher, 
at  the  end  of  the  first  summer.  The  next  spring 
they  should  be  taken  up  ;  or,  this  may  be  done  in 
the  fall.  They  should  be  planted  in  rows,  four 
feet  apart,  to  give  room  to  turn  about  amongst 
them  ;  and  at  two  feet  apart  in  the  rows,  if  intend- 
ed to  be  grafted  or  budded  without  being  again  re- 
moved. If  intended  to  be  again  removed,  before 
grafting  or  budding,  they  may  be  put  at  a  foot  apart. 
They  should  be  kept  clean  by  hoeing  between  them, 
and  the  ground  between  them  should  be  dug  in  the 
fall,  but  not  at  any  other  season  of  the  year. — The 
plants  will  grow  fast  or  slowly  according  to  the  soil 
and  management ;  and,  he  who  knows  how  to  bud 
or  to  graft,  will  know  when  the  stock  is  arrived  at 
the  proper  size  for  each  purpose. — To  speak  ot 
the  kind  of  stocks,  most  suitable  to  the  different 
kinds  of  fruit  trees,  is  reserved  till  we  come  to  speak 
of  the  trees  themselves  ;  but  there  are  some  re- 
marks to  be  made  here,  which  have  a  general  ap- 
plication, relative  to  the  kinds  of  stocks.— It  is 
supposed  by  some  persons,  that  the  nature  of  the 
stock  affects  the  nature  of  the  fruit ;  that  is  to  say, 
that  the  fruit  growing  on  branches,  proceeding  from 
a  bud,  or  a  graft,  partakes,  more  or  less  of  the 
flavour  of  the  fruit  which  would  have  grown  ^n 
the  stock,  if  the  stock  had  been  suffered  to  grow  to 
a  tree  and  to  bear  fruit.  This  is  Mr.  MARSHALL'S 
notion.  But,  how  erroneous  it  is  must  be  manifest 
to  every  one  when  he  reflects,  that  the  stock  for 
the  pear  tree  is  frequently  the  white-thorn.  Can  a 


V.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  169 

pear  partake  of  the  nature  of  the  haw,  which 
grows  upon  the  thorn,  and  which  is  a  stone-fruit 
too  ?  If  this  notion  were  correct,  there  could  be 
hardly  a  single  apple-orchard  in  all  England  :  for. 
they  graft  upon  crab-stocks ;  and,  of  course,  all 
the  apples,  in  the  course  of  years,  would  become 
crabs.  Apricots  and  Peaches  are,  in  England,  al- 
ways put  on  plum-stocks ;  yet,  after  centuries  of 
this  practice,  they  do  not  become  plumbs.  If  the 
fruit  of  the  graft  partake  of  the  nature  of  the 
stock,  why  not  the  wood  and  leaves  ?  Yet,  is  it  not 
visible  to  all  eyes,  that  neither  ever  does  so  par- 
take ? — This,  then,  like  the  carrying  of  the  farina 
from  the  male  to  the  female  flower,  is  a  mere  whim, 
or  dream.  The  bud,  or  graft,  retains  its  own  na- 
ture, wholly  unchanged  by  the  slock  ;  and,  all  that 
is  of  consequence,  as  to  the  kind  of  stock,  is,  whe- 
ther it  be  such  as  will  last  long,  and  supply  the 
tree  with  a  suitable  quantity  of  wood.  This  is  a 
matter  of  great  importance  ;  for,  though  peach  will 
grow  on  peach,  and  apple  on  apple,  the  trees  are 
not  nearly  so  vigorous  and  durable  as  if  the  peach 
were  put  on  the  plum  and  the  apple  on  the  crab. 
In  1800,  I  sent  several  trees  from  England  to 
Messrs.  James  and  Thomas  Paul,  at  Busleton,  in 
Pennsylvania.  There  was  a  Nectarine  amongst 
these.  It  is  well  known,  that,  in  1817,  there  had 
been  so  great  a  mortality  in  the  peach  orchards, 
that  they  had  become  almost  wholly  extinct.  At 
Busleton  there  had  been  as  great  a  mortality  as  in 
any  other  part.  Yet  I,  that  year,  saw  the  Nectarine 
tree  large,  sound  in  every  part,  fine  and  flourish- 
ing. It  is  very  well  known,  that  the  peach  trees 
here  are  very  short-lived.  Six,  seven,  or  eight 
years,  seem  to  be  the  duration  of  their  life.  This 
Nectarine  had  stood  seventeen  years,  and  wa* 
15 


170  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [C'fiap 

likely  to  stand  twice  as  long  yet  to  corne.  It  is 
now  growing-  in  the  garden  of  the  late  Mr.  James 
Paul,  in  Lower  Dublin  Township  ;  and  there  any 
one  may  see  it. — It  is  clear  to  me,  therefore,  that 
the  short  life  of  th«  peach-orchards  is  owing  to  the 
stock  being-  peach.  No  small  part  of  the  peach- 
trees  are  raised  from  the  stone.  Nothing  is  more 
frequent  than  to  see  a  farmer,  or  his  wife,  when  he 
or  she  has  eaten  a  good  peach,  go  and  make  a  little 
hole  and  put  the  stone  in  the  ground,  in  order  to 
have  a  peach  tree  of  the  same  sort !  Not  consider- 
ing, that  the  stone  never,  except  by  mere  accident, 
produces  fruit  of  the  same  quality  as  that  within 
which  it  was  contained,  any  more  than  the  seed  of 
a  carnation  produces  flowers  like  those  from  which 
they  proceeded. — The  peaches  in  America  are, 
when  budded,  put  on  peach-stocks ;  and  this,  I 
think,  is  the  cause  of  their  swift  decay.  They 
should  be  put  on  plum-stocks ;  for,  to  what  other 
cause  are  we  to  ascribe  the  long  life  and  vigorous 
state  of  the  Nectarine  at  Mr.  Paul's  ?  The  plum  is 
a  closer  and  harder  wood  than  the  peach.  The 
peach-trees  are  destroyed  by  a  worm,,  or,  rather,  a 
sort  of  maggot,  that  eats  into  the  bark  at  the  stem. 
The  insects  do  not  like  the  plum  bark  ;  and,  be- 
sides, the  plum  is  a  more  hardy  and  vigorous  tree 
than  the  peach,  and,  observe,  it  is  frequently,  and 
most  frequently,  the  feebleness,  or  sickliness,  of  the 
tree  that  creates  the  insects,  and  not  the  insects 
that  create  the  feebleness  and  sickliness.  There 
are  thousands  of  peach  trees  in  England  and 
France  that  tore  fifty  years  old,  and  that  are  still  in 
vigorous  fruitfulness.  There  is  a  good  deal  in  cli- 
mate, to  be  sure  ;  but,  I  am  convinced,  that  there 
is  a  great  deal  in  the  stock. — Before  I  quit  the  sub- 
ct  of  stocks,  let  me  beg  the  reader  never,  if  he 


V.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  171 

can  avoid  it,  to  make  use  of  suckers,  particularly 
for  an  apple  or  pear-orchard,  which  almost  neces- 
sarily is  to  become  pasture.  Stocks  formed  out  ot 
suckers  produce  suckers ;  and,  if  the  ground  re- 
main in  grass  for  a  few  years,  there,  will  arise  a 
young  wood  all  over  the  ground  ;  and  this  wood,  if 
not  torn  up  by  the  plough,  will,  in  a  short  time, 
destroy  the  trees,  and  will  in  still  less  time,  deprive 
them  of  their  fruitfulness.  Besides  this,  suckers, 
being  originally  excrescences,  and  unnaturally  vig- 
orous, make  wood  too  fast,  make  too  much  'wood; 
and,  where  this  is  the  case,  the  fruit  is  scanty  in 
quantity.  "  Haste  makes  waste"  in  most  cases  ; 
but,  perhaps,  in  nothing  so  much  as  in  the  use  of 
suckers  as  stocks.  By  waiting  a  year  longer  and 
bestowing  a  little  care,  you  obtain  seedling  stocks ; 
and,  really,  if  a  man  has  not  the  trifling  portion  of 
patience  and  industry  that  is  here  required,  he  is 
unworthy  of  the  good  fruit  and  the  abundant  crops, 
which  with  proper  management,  are  sure,  in  this 
country,  to  be  the  reward  of  his  pains. — Look  at 
England,  in  the  spring  !  There  you  see  fruit  trees 
of  all  sorts  covered  with  bloom  ;  and  from  all  of  it 
there  sometimes  comes,  at  last,  not  a  single  fruit. 
Here,  is  this  favoured  country,  to  count  the  blos- 
soms is  to  count  the  fruit !  The  way  to  show  our 
gratitude  to  God  for  such  a  blessing,  is,  to  act  well 
our  part  in  turning  the  blessing  to  the  best  account 

PLANTING. 

2S3.  I  am  not  to  speak  here  of  the  situation  for 
planting,  of  the  aspect,  of  the  nature  of  the  soil,  of 
the  preparation  of  the  soil ;  for  these  have  all  been 
described  in  CHAPTER  I,  Paragraph  20,  save  and 
except,  that,  for  trees,  the  ground  should  be  pre- 
pared as  directed  for  Asparagus,  which  see  in  its 
Alphabetical  place,  in  Chapter  IV. 


172  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 

284.  Before  the  reader  proceed  further,  he  should 
read  very  attentively  what  is  said  of  transplanting 
generally,  in  Chapter  III,  Paragraph  109  and  on- 
wards.    He  will  there  perceive  the  absolute  neces- 
sity of  the  ground,  to  be  planted  in,  being  made 
perfectly  fine,  and  that  no   clods,  great  or  small, 
ought  to  be  tumbled  in  about  the  roots.     This  is  so 
capital  a  point,  that  I  must  request  the  reader  to 
pay  particular  attention  to  it.     To  remove  a  tree, 
though  young,  is  an  operation  that  puts  the  vegeta- 
tive faculties  to  a  severe  test ;  and,  therefore,  every 
thing  should  be  done  to  render  the  shock  as  little 
injurious  as  possible. 

285.  The  tree  to  be  planted  should  be  as  young 
as  circumstances  will  allow.     The  season  is  just 
when  the  leaves  become  yellow,  or,  as  early  as  pos- 
sible in  the  spring.     The  ground  being  prepared, 
and  the  tree  taken  up,  prune  the  roots  with  a  sharp 
knife  so  as  to  leave  none  more  than  about  a  foot 
long;  and,  if  any  have  been  torn  off  nearer  to  the 
stem,  prune  the  part,  so  that  no  bruises  or  ragged 
parts  remain.     Cut  off  all  the.  fbres  close  to  the 
roots ;  for,  they  never  live,  and  they  mould,  and  do 
great  injury.     If  cut  off,  their  place  is  supplied  by 
other  fibres  more  quickly,     Dig  the  hole  to  plant  in 
three  times  as  wide,  and  six  inches  deeper,  than  the 
roots  actually  need  as  mere  room.    And  now,  be- 
sides the  fine   earth    generally,    have  some    good 
mould  sifted.     Lay  some  of  this  six  inches  deep  at 
the  bottom  of  the  hole.     Place  the  roots  upon  this 
in  their  natural  order,  and  hold  the   tree  perfectly 
upright,  while  you  put   more   sifted  earth   on  the 
roots.     Sway  the  tree  backward  and  forward  a  lit- 
tle, and  give  it  a  gentle  lift  arid  shake,  so  that  the 
fine  earth  may  find  its  way  amongst  the  roots  arid 
leave  not  the  smallest  cavity.     Every  root  should 


V'.J  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  /  173 

be  closely  touched  by  the  earth  in  every  part.  When 
you  have  covered  all  the  roots  with  the  sifted  earth, 
and  have  seen  that  your  tree  stands  just  as  high 
with  regard  to  the  level  of  the  ground  as  it  did  in 
the  place  where  it  before  stood,  allowing  about  3 
inches  for  sinking,  fill  up  the  rest  of  the  hole  with 
the  common  earth  of  the  plat,  and  when  you  have 
about  half  filled  it,  tread  the  earth  that  you  put  in, 
but  not  very  hard.  Put  on  the  rest  of  the  earth, 
and  leave  the  surface  perfectly  smooth.  Do  not  wa- 
ter by  any  means.  Water,  poured  on,  in  this  case, 
sinks  rapidly  down,  and  makes  cavities  amongst  the 
roots.  Lets  in  air.  Mould  and  canker  follow  ;  and 
great  injury  is  done. 

286.  If  the  tree  be  planted  in  the  fall,  as  soon  as 
the  leaf  begins  to  be  yellow  ;  that  is  to  say,  in  Oc- 
tober early,  it  will  have  struck  out  new  roots  to  the 
length   of  some  inches  before  the  winter  sets  in. 
And  this  is  certainly  the  best  time  for  doing  the  bu- 
siness.   But,  mind,  the  roots  should  be  out  of  ground 
as  short  a  time  as  possible  ;  and  should  by  no  means 
be  permitted  to  get  dry,  if  you  can  avoid  it ;  for, 
though  some  trees  will  live  after  having  been  a  long 
while  out  of  ground,  the   shorter  the  time  out  of 
ground  the  sooner  the  roots  strike;  and,  if  the  roots 
should  get  dry  before  planting,  they  ought  to  be 
soaked  in  water,  rain  or  pond,  for  half  a  day  before 
the  tree  be  planted. 

287.  If  the  tree  be  for  an  orchard,  it  must  be  five 
or  six  feet  high,  unless  cattle  are  to  be  kept  out  for 
two  or  three  years.     And,  in  this  case,  the  head  ot 
the  tree  must  be  pruned  short,  to  prevent  it  from 
swaying  about  from  the  force  of  the  wind.     Even 
when  pruned,  it  will  be  exposed  to  be  loosened  by 
this  cause,  and  must  be  kept  steady  by  a   stake ; 
but,  it  must  no*  be  fastened  to  a  stake,  until  raiu 

15* 


174  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chsp 

has  come  to  settle  the  ground ;  for,  such  fastening 
would  prevent  it  from  sinking  with  the  earth.  The 
earth  would  sink  from  it,  and  leave  cavities  about 
the  roots. 

288.  When  the  trees  are  short,  they  will  require 
no  stakes.     They  may  be  planted  the  second  year 
after  budding,  and  the  first  after  grafting ;  and  these 
are  the  best  times.     If  planted  in  the  fall,  the  tree 
should  be  shortened  very  early  in  the  spring,  and 
in  such  a  way  as  to  answer  the  ends   to  be  pointed 
out  more  particularly  when  we  come  to  speak  of 
pruning. 

289.  If  you  plant  in  the  spring,  it  should  be  as 
early  as  the  ground  will  bear  moving ;  only,  bear 
in  mind,  that  the  ground  must  always  be  dry  at  top 
when  you  plant.     In  this  case,  the  new  roots  will 
strike  out  almost  immediately  ;  and  as  soon  as  the 
buds  begin  to  swell,  shorten  the  head  of  the  tree. 
After  a  spring-planting,   it   may  be   necessary   to 
guard  against  drought ;  and  the  best  protection  is 
the  laying  of  small  stones  of  any  sort  round  the 
tree,  so  as  to   cover  the  area  of  a  circle  of  three 
feet  in  diameter,  of  which  circle  the  stem  of  the  tree 
is  the  centre.     This  will  keep  the   ground  cooler 
than  any  thing  else  that  you  can  put  upon  it. 

290.  As  to  the  distances,  at  which  trees  ought  to 
be  planted,  that  must  depend  on  the  sort  of  tree, 
and   on  other  circumstances.     It  will  be  seen  by 
looking  at  the  plan  of  the  garden  (Plate  1,)  that  I 
make  provision  for  70  trees,  and  for  a  row  of  grape 
vines  extending  the   length   of  two   of  the  plats. 
The  trees  will  have  a  space  of  14  feet  square  each. 
But,  in  orchards,  the  distances  for  apples  and  pears 
must  be  much   greater  •  otherwise  the   trees  will 
soon    run   their    branches   into,    and  injure    each 
other. 


Yj  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER  175 

CULTIVATION. 

291.  The  Cultivation  of  fruit  trees  d  vides  itself 
into  two  distinct  parts  ;  the  management  of  the  tree 
itself,  which  consists  of  pruning  and  tying;  and 
the   management  of  the    ground  where    the   trees 
grow,  which  consists  of  digging,  hoeing,  and  ma- 
nuring.   The  management  of  the  tree  itself  differs 
with  the  sort  of  tree ;  and,  therefore,  I  shall  treat 
of  the  management  of  each  sort  under  its  own  par- 
ticular name.    But  the  management  of  the  ground 
where  trees  grow  is  the  same  in  the  case  of  all  the 
larger  trees  ;  and,  for  that  reason,  I  shall  here  give 
directions  concerning  it. 

292.  In  the  first  place,  the  ground  is  always  to 
be  kept  clear  of  weeds  ;  for,  whatever  they  take  is 
just  so  much  taken  from  the  fruit,  either  in  quantity, 
or  in  quality,  or  in  both.     It  is  true,  that  very  fine 
orchards  have   grass   covering  all  the  ground  be- 
neath the  trees  ;  but,  these  orchards  would  be  still 
finer  if  the  ground  were  kept  clear  from  all  plants 
whatever  except  the  trees.     Such  a  piece  of  ground 
is,  at  once,  an  Orchard  and  a  Pasture :  what  is  lost 
one  way  is,  probably,  gained  the  other.     But,  if  we 
come  to  fine  and  choice  fruits,  there  can  be  nothing 
that  can  grow  beneath  to  balance  against  the  injury 
done  to  the  trees. 

293.  The  roots  of  trees  go  deep  ;  but,  the  prin- 
cipal part  of  their  nourishment  comes  from  the  top- 
soil.    The  ground  should  be  loose  to  a  good  depth, 
which  is  the  certain  cause  of  constant  moisture  ;  but 
trees  draw  downwards   as  well   as  upwards,   and 
draw  more  nourishment  in  the  former  than  in  the 
latter  direction.       Vineyards,    as  TULL  observes, 
must  always  be  tilled,  in  some  way  or  other;  or 
they  will  produce  nothing  of  value.     He  adds,  that 
Mr.  EVELYN   says,   that  ««  when  the  soil,  wherein 


176  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chaj 

fruit-tretfs  are  planted,  is  constantly  kept  in  tillage, 
they  grow  up  to  an  Orchard  in  half  the  time,  they 
would  do,  if  the  soil  were  not  tilled."  Therefore, 
tillage  is  useful  ;  but,  it  were  better,  that  there  were 
tillage  without  under  crops ;  for  these  crops  take 
away  a  great  part  of  the  strength  that  the  manure 
and  tillage  bring. 

294.  Now,   then,  as  to  the  trees  in  my  garden  ; 
they  are  to  be  choice  peaches,  nectarines,  apricots, 
plums,  cherries,   and  grape  vines,  with  a  very  few 
apples  and  pears.     The  sorts  will   be  mentioned 
hereafter  in  the  Alphabetical  list ;  but,  the  tillage 
for  all  except  the  grape  vines,  is  the  same  ;  and  the 
nature  of  that  exception  will  be  particularly  stated 
under  the  name  of  grape. 

295.  It  was  observed  before,  that  the  ground  is 
always  to  be  kept  clear  of  weeds.    From  the  spring 
to  the  fall  frequent  hoeing  all  the   ground  over, 
not    only   to   keep   away  weeds   but  to    keep   the 
ground  moist  in  hot  and  dry  weather,   taking  care 
never  to  hoe  but  when  the  ground  is  dry  at  top. 
This  hoeing  should  not  go  deeper  than  four  or  five 
inches  ;  for,   there  is    a    great  difference  between 
trees  and  herbaceous  plants  as  to  the  renewal  of 
their  roots  respectively.     Cut  off  the  lateral  root? 
of  a  cabbage,  or  a  turnip,  of  a  wheat  or  a  rye  or  an 
Indian-corn   plant,  and  new  roots,  from  the  parts 
that  remain,  come  out  in  12  hours,  and  the  opera- 
tion, by  multiplying  the  mouths  of  the  feeders  of 
the  plant,  gives  it  additional  force.     But,  the  roots 
of  a  tree  consist  of  wood,  more  or  less  hard  ;  they 
do   not  quickly  renew  themselves  :  they  are  of  a 
permanent  nature  :  and  they  must  not  be  much  mu- 
tilated during  the  time  that  the  sap  is  in  the  flow. 

296.  Therefore,  the  ploughing  between  trees  or 
the  digging  between  trees  ought  to  take  place  onlv 


V.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER  177 

in  the  fall ,  which  gives  time  for  a  renewal,  or  new 
supply,  of  roots  before  the  sap  be  again  in  motion. 
For  this  reason,  if  crops  be  grown  under  trees  in 
orchards,  they  should  be  of  wheat,  rye,  winter- 
barley,  or  of  something  that  does  not  demand  a 
ploughing  of  the  ground  in  the  spring.  In  the  gar- 
den, dig  the  ground  well  and  clean,  with  a  fork,  late 
in  November.  Go  close  to  the  stems  of  the  trees ; 
but  do  not  bruise  the  large  roots.  Clean  and  clear 
all  well  close  round  the  stem.  Make  the  ground 
smooth  just  there.  Ascertain  whether  there  be  in- 
sects there  of  any  sort.  And,  if  there 'be,  take  care 
to  destroy  them.  Pull,  or  scrape,  off  all  rough  bark 
at  the  bottom  of  the  stem.  If  you  even  peel  off  the 
outside  bark  a  foot  or  two  up,  in  case  there  be  in- 
sects, it  will  be  the  better.  Wash  the  stems  with 
water,  in  which  tobacco  has  been  soaked ;  and  do 
this,  whether  you  find  insects  or  not.  Put  the  to- 
bacco into  hot  water,  and  let  it  soak  24  hours,  be- 
fore you  use  the  water.  This  will  destroy,  or  drive 
away,  all  insects. 

297.  But,   though,   for  the  purpose  of  removing 
all  harbour  for  insects,  you  make  the  ground  smooth 
just  round  the  stem  of  the  tree,  let  the  rest  of  the 
ground  lay  as  rough  as  you  can  ;  for  the  rougher 
it  lies  the  more  will  it  be  broken  by  the  frost,  which 
is  a  great  enricher  of  all  land.     When  the  spring 
comes,  and  the  ground  is  dry  at  the  top,  give  the 
whole  of  the   ground  a  good  deep  hoeing,   which 
will  make  it  level  and  s  nooth  enough.    Then  go  on 
again  hoeing  throughout  the  summer,  and  watching 
well  all  attempts  of  insects  on  the  stems  and  bark 
of  the  trees. 

298.  Diseases  of  trees  are  various  in  their  kind  ; 
but,  nine  times  out  of  ten  they  proceed  from  the 
roct.     Insects  are  much  more  frequently  an  effect 


178  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

than  a  cause.  If  the  disease  proceed  from  blight^ 
there  is  no  prevention,  except  that  which  is  suggest- 
ed by  the  fact,  that  feeble  and  sickly  trees  are  fre- 
quently blighted  when  healthy  ones  are  not ;  but, 
when  the  insects  come,  they  add  greatly  to  the  evil 
They  are  generally  produced  by  the  disease,  ag 
maggots  are  by  putrefaction.  The  ants  are  the 
only  active  insect  for  which  there  is  not  a  cure  ; 
and  I  know  of  no  means  of  destroying  jhem,  bu 
finding  out  their  nests,  and  pouring  boiling  water  on 
them.  A  line  dipped  in  tar  tied  round  the  stem 
will  keep  them  from  climbing  the  tree  :  but  they  are 
still  alive.  As  to  the  diminutive  creatures  that  ap- 
pear as  specks  in  the  bark ;  the  best,  and  perhaps, 
he  only  remedy  against  the  species  of  disease  ol 
»vhich  they  are  the  symptoms,  consists  of  good 
'ants,  good  planting  and  good  tillage.  When  or- 
^ards  are  seized  with  diseases  that  pervade  the 
Avhole  of  the  trees,  or  nearly  the  whole,  the  best 
way  is  to  cut  them  down  :  they  are  more  plague 
than  profit,  and,  as  long  as  they  exist,  they  are  a 
source  of  nothing  but  constantly-returning  disap- 
pointment and  mortification.  However,  as  there 
are  persons  who  have  a  delight  in  quackery,  who 
are  never  so  happy  as  when  they  have  some  specific 
to  apply,  and  to  whom  rosy  cheeks  and  ruby  lips 
are  almost  an  eye-sore,  it  is,  perhaps,  fortunate, 
that  the  vegetable  world  presents  them  with  pa- 
tients; and  thus,  even  in  the  cotton-blight  01  can- 
ker, we  see  an  evil,  which  we  may  be  led  to  hope  is 
not  altogether  unaccompanied  with  good. 

LIST    OF    FRUITS. 

299.  Having,  in  the  former  parts  of  this  CHAP- 
TER, treated  of  the  propagation,  planting,  and  cul- 
tivation of  all  fruit  trees  (the  grape  vine  only  ex- 
cepted)  it  would  remain  for  me  merely  to  give  a 


V.j  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENLR. 

List  of  the  several  fruits  ;  to  speak  of  the  different 
sorts  of  each  ;  and  of  the  mode  of  preserving  them  ; 
but  the  stocks  and  pruning'  vary,  in  some  cases ; 
and,  therefore,  as  I  go  along,  I  shall  have  to  speak 
of  them.  Before,  however,  I  enter  on  this  Alpha- 
betical List,  let  me  observe,  that  only  a  part  of  the 
fruits  mentioned  in  it  are  proposed  to  be  raised  in 
the  garden  ;  and  that  the  70  trees,  shown  in  the 
Plate  I,  are  intended  to  mark  the  paces,  and,  in 
some  degree,  the  form,  of  6  Apple  trees,  6  Apricots, 
6  Cherries,  6  Nectarines,  30  Peaches,  6  Pears,  and 
10  Plums  ;  and,  that  the  trelises,  on  the  Southern 
sides  of  Plats,  No.  8  and  9,  are  intended  to  mark 
the  places  for  4  Grape-Vines,  there  being  another 
Plate  to  explain  more  fully  the  object  and  dimen- 
sions of  this  trelis  work.* 

300.  APPLE. — Apples  are  usually  grafted  on 
crab-stocks  (See  Paragraph  281  ;)  but,  when  you  do 
not  want  the  trees  to  grow  tall  and  large,  it  is  bet- 
ter to  raise  stocks  from  the  seed  of  some  Apple  not 
much  given  to  produce  large  wood.  Perhaps  the 
Fall-Pippin  seed  may  be  as  good  as  any.  When 
you  have  planted  the  tree,  as  directed  in  Paragraphs 
283  to  289,  and  when  the  time  comes  for  shorten- 
ing the  head,  cut  it  off  so  as  to  leave  only  five  or 
six  joints  or  buds.  These  will  send  out  shoots, 
which  will  become  limbs.  The  tree  will  be  what 
they  call;  in  England,  a  dwarf  standard  ;  and,  ol 
this  description  are  to  be  all  the  70  trees  in  the 
garden. — As  to  pruning,  see  PEACH  ;  for,  the  pru- 
ning of  all  these  dwarf  standards  is  nearly  the 
same. — The  sorts  of  Apples  are  numerous,  and 
every  body  knows,  pretty  well,  which  are  the  best. 
In  my  garden  I  should  only  have  six  apple  trees  ; 
and,  theref  re,  they  should  be  of  the  finest  for  the 
season  at  which  they  are  eaten.  The  earliest  apple 


180  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap., 

is  the  Junating,  the  next  the  Summer  PearmcAn 
Besides  these  I  would  have  a  Doctor -apple,  a  Fall- 
Pippin,  a  Newtown  Pippin  and  a  Greening.  The 
quantity  would  not  be  very  large  that  six  trees 
would  produce  ;  yet  it  would  be  considerable,  and 
the  quality  would  be  exquisitely  fine.  I  would  not 
suffer  too  great  a  number  of  fruit  to  remain  on  the 
tree ;  and,  I  would  be  bound  to  have  the  three  last- 
named  sorts  weighing,  on  an  average,  12  ounces 
I  have  seen  a  Fall-Pippin  that  weighed  a  pound. — 
To  preserve  apples,  in  their  whole  state,  observe 
this,  that  frost  does  not  much  injure  them,  provided 
they  be  kept  in  total  darkness  during  the  frost  and 
until  they  be  used,  and  provided  they  be  perfectly 
dry  when  put  away.  If  put  together  in  large  par- 
cels, and  kept  from  the  frbst,  they  heat,  and  then 
they  rot ;  and,  those  of  them  that  happen  not  to  rot, 
lose  their  flavour,  become  vapid,  and  are,  indeed, 
good  for  little.  This  is  the  case  with  the  Newtowr 
Pippins  that  are  sent  to  England,  which  are  halt 
lost  by  rot,  while  the  remainder  are  poor  tasteless 
stuff,  very  little  better  than  the  English  apples,  the 
far  greater  part  of  which  are  either  sour  or  mawk- 
ish. The  apples  thus  sent,  have  every  possible  dis- 
advantage. They  are  gathered  carelessly  ;  tossed 
into  baskets  and  tumbled  into  barrels  at  once,  and 
without  any  packing  stuff  between  them  ;  the  bar 
rels  are  flung  into  arid  out  of  wagons  ;  they  are 
rolled  along  upon  pavements ;  they  are  put  in  the 
hold,  or  between  the  decks,  of  the  ship  :  and,  is  it 
any  wonder,  that  a  barrel  of  pomace,  instead  of 
apples,  arrive  at  Liverpool  or  London  ?  If,  instead 
of  this  careless  work,  the  apples  were  gathered  (a 
week  before  ripe  ;}  not  bruised  at  all  in  the  gather- 
ing; laid  in  the  sun,  on  boards  or  cloths,  three 
days,  to  le*  the  watery  particles  evaporate  a  little  : 


V1  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENEIt.  181 

put  into  barrels  with  fine-cut  s Ira \v-chafl*,  in  such  a 
way  as  that  no  apple  touched  another  ;  carefully 
carried  to  the  ship  and  put  on  board,  and  as  care- 
fully landed  ;  and  if  this  were  the  mode,  one  bar- 
rel, though  it  would  contain  only  half  the  quantity, 
would  sell  for  as  much  as,  upon  an  average,  taking- 
in  loss  by  total  destruction,  twenty  barrels  sell  for 
now.  On  the  deck  is  the  best  part  of  the  ship  for 
apples  ;  but,  if  managed  as  I  have  directed,  between 
decks  would  do  very  well. — In  the  keeping  of  ap- 
ples for  market,  or  for  home-use,  the  same  precau- 
tions ought  to  be  observed  as  to  gathering  and  lav- 
ing out  to  dry ;  and,  perhaps,  to  pack  in  the  same 
way  also  is  the  best  mode  that  can  be  discovered. 
Dried  Apples  is  an  article  of  great  and  general 
use.  Every  body  knows,  that  the  apples  are  peel- 
ed, cut  into  about  eight  pieces,  the-core  taken  outr 
and  the  pieces  put  in  the  sun  till  they  become  dry 
and  tough.  They  are  then  put  by  in  bags,  or  boxes, 
in  a  dry  place.  But,  the  flesh  of  the  apple  does  not 
change  its  nature  in  the  drying;  and,  therefore,  the 
finest,  and  not  the  coarsest,  apples  should  have  all 
this  trouble  bestowed  upon  them. 

301.  APRICOT.— This  is  a  very  delightful  fruit. 
It  comes  earlier  than  the  peach :  and  some  like  it 
better.  It  is  a  hardier  tree,  bears  as  well  as  the 
peach,  and  the  green  fruit,  when  the  size  of  a 
hickory-nut,  makes  a  very  good  tart.  When  ripe, 
or  nearly  ripe,  it  makes  a  better  pie  than  the  peach; 
and  the  tree,  when  well  raised,  planted,  and  culti- 
vated, will  last  a  century. — Apricots  are  budded  or 
grafted  upon  plum  stocks,  or  upon  stocks  raised 
from  Apricot-stones.  They  do  not  bear  so  soon  as 
the  peach  by  one  year.  For  the  pruning  of  them, 
see  PEACH. — There  are  many  sorts  of  Apricots 
some  come  earlier,  some  are  larger,  and  some  fine* 


182  THE    AMERICAN    C  AUDEXL'K,  [Chap. 

than  others.  It  may  be  sufficient  to  name  the  Brus- 
sels, the  Moore-Park,  and  the  Turkey.  The  first 
carries  most  fruit  as  to  number  ;  but,  the  others  arc 
larger  and  of  liner  flavour.  Perhaps  two  trees  ol 
each  of  these  sorts  would  be  the  most  judicious  se- 
lection. I  have  heard,  that  the  Apricot  does  not  do 
in  this  country !  That  is  to  say,  I  suppose,  it  will 
not  do  of  its  own  accord,  like  a  peach,  by  having 
the  stone  flung  upon  the  ground,  which  it  certainly 
will  not;  and  it  is  very  much  to  be  commended  for 
refusing  to  do  in  this  way.  But,  properly  managed, 
I  know  it  will  do,  for  I  never  tasted  finer  Apricots 
than  I  have  in  America ;  and,  indeed,  who  can  be- 
lieve that  it  will  not  do  in  a  country,  where  there 
are  no  blights  of  fruit  trees  worth  speaking  of,  and 
where  melons  ripen  to  such  perfection  in  the  natu 
ral  ground  and  almost  without  care  ? 

302.  BARBERRY. — This  fruit  is  well  known. 
The  tree,  or  shrub,  on  which  it  grows,  is  raised  from 
the  seed,   or   from  suckers,   or  layers.      Its  place 
ought  to  be  in  the  South  Border ;  for,  the  hot  sun 
is  rather  against  its  fruit  growing  large. 

303.  CHERRY.— Cherries  are  budded  or  grafted 
upon  stocks  raised  from  cherry-stones  of  any  sort. 
If  yon  want  the  tree  tall  and  large,  the  stock  should 
come  from  the  small  black  cherry  tree  that  grows 
wild  in  the  woods.     If  you  want  it  dwarf,  sow  the 
stones  of  a  morello  or  a  May-duke.     The  sorts  of 
cherries  are  very  numerous  ;  but,  the  six  trees  for 
my  garden  should  be,  a  May-cherry,  a  May-duke, 
a  Hack-heart,  a  white-heart,  and    two   bigeroons 
The  four  former  are  well  known  in  America,  but  I 
never  saw  but  two  trees  of  the  last,  and  those  I  sent 
from  England  to  Bustleton,  in  Pennsylvania,  in  the 
year  1800.     They  are  now   growing  there,  in  the 
gardens  of  the  two  Messrs.  Paul's.     Cuttings  from 


V.]  THE    AME1UCAN    GARDENER  183 

them  have  been  carried  and  used  as  grafts  all  round 
the  country.  During  the  few  days  that  I  was  at  Mr. 
James  Paul's, in  181 7,  several  persons  came  for  grafts; 
so  that  these  trees  must  be  pretty  famous.  The  fruit 
is  large,  thin  skinned,  small  stone,  and  fine  colour 
and  flavour,  and  the  tree  grows  freely  and  in  beauti- 
ful form. — For  Pruning,  see  PEACH. — To  preserve 
cherries,  gather  them  without  bruising;  take  off  the 
tails  ;  lay  them  in  the  sun  on  dry  deal  hoards  ;  when 
quite  dry  put  them  by  in  bags  in  a  dry  place.  They 
form  a  variety  in  the  tart-making  way. 

304.  CHESTNUT.— This  is  an  inhabitant  of  the 
woods  ;  and,  as  to  its  fruit,  I  have  only  to  say, 
that  the  American  is  as  much  better  than  the  Span- 
ish as  the  tree  is  a  finer  tree. — To  preserve  chest- 
nuts, so  as  to  have  them  to  sow  in  the  spring,  or  to 
tat  through  the  winter,  you  must  put  them  into  a 
DOX,  or  barrel,  mixed  with,  and  covered   over  by, 
$ne  dry  sand.     If  there  be  maggots  in  any  of  the 
rhestnuts,  they  will  work  up  through  the  sand,  to 
get  to  air  ;  and,  thus,  you  have  your  chestnuts  sweet 
and  sound  and  fresh.     To  know  whether  chestnuts 
will  grow,  toss  them  into    water.     If  they  swim, 
they  will  not  grow. 

305.  CRANBERRY.— This  is  one  of  the  best 
fruits  in  the  world.     All  tarts  sink  out  of  sight  in 
point  of  merit,  when  compared  with  that  made  of 
the  American  Cranberry.     There  is  a  little  dark 
red  thing,  about  as  big  as  a  large  pea,  sent  to  Eng- 
land  from   the  North  of  Europe,  and  is  called  a 
Cranberry  ;  but,  it  does  not  resemble  the  American 
in  taste  any  more  than  in  bulk. — It  is  well  known 
that  this  valuable   fruit  is,   in  many  parts  of  this 
country,  spread  over  the  low  lands  in  great  profu- 
sion ;  and  that  the  mere  gathering  of  it  is  all  that 
bountiful  nature  requires  at  our  hands. — This  fruit 


184  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 

is  preserved  all  the  year,  by  stewing  and  putting 
into  jars,  and  when  taken  thence  is  better  than  cur- 
rant jelly.  The  fruit,  in  its  whole  state,  laid  in  a 
heap,  in  a  dry  room,  will  keep  sound  and  perfectly 
good  for  six  months.  It  will  freeze  and  thaw  and 
freeze  and  thaw  again  without  receiving  any  in- 
jury. It  may,  if  you  choose,  be  kept  in  water  all 
the  while,  without  any  injury.  I  received  a  barrel 
in  England,  mixed  with  water,  as  good  and  as  fresh 
as  I  ever  tasted  at  New  York  or  Philadelphia. 

306.  CURRANT.— There   are   red,  white   and 
black,  all  well    known.      Some  persons   like   one 
best,  and  some  another.     The  propagation  and  cul- 
tivation of  all  the  sorts  are  the  same.    The  currant 
tree  is  propagated  from  cuttings  ;  and  the  cuttings 
are  treated   as   has   been  seen   in   Paragraph  275. 
When  the  tree  has  stood  two  years  in  the  Nursery, 
plant  it  where  it  is  to  stand  ;  and  take  care  that  it 
has  only  one  stem.    Let  no  limbs  come  out  to  grow 
nearer  than  six  inches  of  the  ground.     Prune  the 
tree  every  year.     Keep  it  thin  of  wood.     Keep  the 
middle   open  and  the  limbs  extended  ;  and  when 
these  get  to  about  three  feet  in  length,  cut  off,  every 
winter,  all  the  last  year's  shoots.     If  you  do  not 
attend  to  this,  the  tree  will  be  nothing  but  a  great 
bunch  of  twigs,  and  you  will  have  very  little  fruit. 
Cultivate  and  manure  the  ground  as  for  other  fruit 
trees.     See  Paragraphs  289  to  296.     In  this  coun- 
try the  currant  requires  shade  in  summer.     If  ex- 
posed to  the  full  sun,  the  fruit  is  apt  to  become  too 
sour.     Plant  it,  therefore,  in  the  South  Border. 

307.  FIG. — There  are  several  sorts  of  Figs,  but 
all  would  ripen  in  this  country.    The  only  difficulty 
must  be  to  protect  the  trees  in  winter,  which  can 
hardly  be  done  without  covering  pretty  closely. 
Figs  are   raised  either   from   cuttings  or  layers 


V  ]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  185 

\vhicli  are  treated  as  other  cuttings  and  layers  are. 
See  Paragraphs  275  and  277.  The  fig  is  a  mawkish 
thing  at  best ;  and,  amongst  such  quantities  of  fine 
fruit  as  this  country  produces,  it  can,  from  mere 
curiosity  only,  be  thought  worth  raising  at  all,  and 
especially  at  great  trouble. 

303.  FILBERD. — This  is  a  sort  of  Nut,  oblong 
in  shape,  very  thin  in  the  shell,  and  in  flavour  as 
much  superior  to  the  common  nut  as  a  Water- 
melon is  to  a  pumpkin.  The  American  nut  tree  is 
a  dwarf  shrub.  The  Filberd  is  a  tall  one,  and  will, 
under  favourable  circumstances,  reach  the  height 
of  thirty  feet.  I  never  saw  any  Filberd  trees  in 
this  country,  except  those  that  I  sent  from  England 
in  1800.  They  are  six  in  number,  and  they  are 
now  growing  in  the  garden  of  the  late  Mr.  JAMES 
PAUL,  of  Lower  Dublin  Township,  in  Philadelphia 
county.  I  saw  them  in  1817,  when  they  were,  I 
should  suppose,  about  20  feet  high.  They  had  al- 
ways borne,  I  was  told,  very  large  quantities,  never 
failing.  Perhaps  live  or  six  bushels  a  year,  mea- 
sured in  the  husk,  a  produce  very  seldom  witnessed 
in  England  ;  so  that,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  cli- 
mate is  extremely  favourable  to  them.  Indeed  to 
what,  that  is  good  for  man,  is  it  not  favourable  ? — 
The  Filberd  is  propagated  from  layers,  or  from 
suckers,  of  which  latter  it  sends  forth  great  abun- 
dance. The  layers  are  treated  like  other  layers, 
(See  Paragraph  276,)  and  they  very  soon  become 
trees.  The  suckers  are  also  treated  like  other 
suckers.  (See  Paragraph  277;)  but,  layers  are 
preferable,  for  the  reasons  before  stated. — This 
tree  cannot  be  propagated  from  seed  to  bear  Fil- 
berds.  The  seed,  if  sown,  will  produce  trees;  but, 
those  trees  will  bear  poor  thick-shelled  nuts,  except 
it  be  by  mere  accident.  It  is  useful  to  know  how 
16* 


188  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Cbaj) 

to  preserve  the  fruit ;  for  it  is  very  pleasant  to  have 
it  all  the  winter  long.  Always  let  the  filberds  han« 
on  the  tree  till  quite  ripe,  and  that  is  ascertained 
by  their  coming  out  of  the  husk  without  any  effort. 
They  are  then  brown,  and  the  butt  ends  of  them 
white.  Lay  them  in  the  sun  for  a  day  to  dry  ;  then 
put  them  in  a  box,  or  jar,  or  barrel,  with  very  fine 
dry  sand.  Four  times  as  much  sand  as  lilberds, 
and  put  them  in  any  dry  place.  Here  they  will 
keep  well  till  April  or  May  ;  and,  perhaps,  longer 
This  is  better  a  great  deal  than  putting  them,  as 
they  do  in  England,  into  jars,  and  the  jars  into  a 
cellar  ;  for  if  they  do  not  mould  in  that  situation, 
they  lose  much  of  their  sweetness  in  a  few  months. 
The  burning  sun  is  apt  to  scorch  up  the  leaves  of 
the  Filberd  tree.  I  would,  therefore,  plant  a  row 
of  them  as  near  as  possible  to  the  South  fence. 
Ten  trees  at  eight  feet  apart  might  be  enough. — 
The  Filberd  \vill  do  very  well  under  the  shade  of 
lofty  trees,  if  those  trees  do  not  stand  too  thick. 
And  it  is  by  no  means  an  ugly  shrub,  while  the 
wood  of  it  is,  as  well  as  the  nut  wood,  which  is,  in 
England,  called  hazel,  and  is  a  very  good  wood. 
In  the  oak-woods  there,  hazel  is  very  frequently 
the  underwood;  and  it  makes  small  hoops,  and  is 
applied  to  various  other  purposes. — I  cannot  dis- 
miss this  article  without  exhorting  the  American 
farmer  to  provide  himself  with  some  of  this  sort  of 
tree,  which,  when  small,  is  easily  conveyed  to  any 
distance  in  winter,  and  got  ready  to  plant  out  in 
the  spring.  Those  that  are  growing  at  Mr.  PAUL'S 
were  dug  up,  in  England,  in  January,  shipped  to 
New  York,  carried  on  the  top  of  the  stage,  in  the 
dead  of  winter  to  Busleton,  kept  in  a  cellar  till 
spring*  and  then  planted  out.  These  were  the  first 
trees  of  the  kind,  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to 


V.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  IS/ 

Jearn,  that  ever  found  their  way  to  this  country. 
I  hear  that  Mr.  STEPHEN  GIRARD  takes  to  him- 
self the  act  of  first  introduction,  from  France. 
But,  I  must  deny  him  this.  He,  I  am  told,  brought 
his  trees  several  years  later  than  I  sent  mine. 

309.  GOOSEBERRY.— Various  are   the  sorts, 
and   no   one  that  is  not  good.     The  shrub  is  pro- 
pagated precisely  like  that  of  the  currant.     I  can- 
not tell  the  cause  that  it  is   so   little  cultivated  in 
America.      I   should   think  (though    I  am    by  no 
means  sure  of  the  fact)  that  it  would  do  very  well 
under  the  shade  of  a  South  Fence.     However,  as 
far  as  the  fruit  is  useful  in  its  green  state,  for  tarts, 
the   Rhubarb  supplies  its   place   very  well.     The 
fruit  is   excellent  when   well  raised.     They  have 
gooseberries  in  England  nearly  as  large  as  pigeon's 
eggs,  and   the   crops  that  the   trees  bear  are  pro- 
digious. 

310.  GRAPE. — This  is  a  very  importam  article  ; 
and,  before  I  proceed  to  treat  of  the  culture  of  the 
grape-vine,  I  must  notice  the  astonishing  circum- 
stance, that  that  culture  should  be  almost  wholly 
unknown  in  this  country  of  fine  sun.    I  have  asked 
the  reason  of  this,  seeing  that  the  fruit  is  so  good, 
the  crop  so  certain,  and  culture  so  easy.    The  only 
answer  that  I  have  received  is,  that  the  rose-bug 
destroys  the  fruit.     Now,  this  I  know,  that  I  had 
a  grape  vine  in   my  court-yard  at  Philadelphia  ; 
that  it  bore  nothing  the  first  year ;   that  I  made 
an  arched  trelis  for    it    to  run  over ;  and  that  I 
had  hundreds  of  pounds  of  fine  grapes  hanging 
down  in  large  bunches.     Yes,  I  am  told,  but  this 
was  in  a  city  ;  and  amongst  houses,  and  there  the 
grapes  do  very  well.    Then,  1799,  I  saw,  at  Spring 
Mills,  on  the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill,  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  Vine3-ard  of  Mr.  Le  Gau,  which  covered 


188  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

about  two  acres  of  ground,  and  the  vines  of  which 
were  loaded  with  tine  grapes  of,  at  least,  twenty 
different  sorts.  The  vineyard  was  on  the  side  of  & 
little  hill  ;  on  the  top  of  the  hill  was  a  corn-field, 
and  in  the  front  of  it,  across  a  little  valley,  and  on 
the  side  of  another  little  hill,  was  a  wood  of  lofty 
trees  ;  the  country  in  general,  being  very  much 
covered  with  woods.  Mr.  LA  GAU  made  wine  from 
this  Vineyard.  The  vines  are  planted  at  about 
four  feet  apart,  grew  upright,  and  were  tied  to 
sticks  about  five  feet  high,  after  the  manner  of 
some,  at  least,  of  the  vineyards  of  France. — Now, 
are  not  these  facts  alone  decisive  in  the  negative 
of  the  proposition,  that  there  is  a  generally  preva- 
lent obstacle  to  the  growing  of  grapes  in  this 
country? — Mr.  HULME,  in  his  Journal  to  the  West 
(See  my  Year's  Residence,  Paragraph  892,)  gives 
an  account  of  the  Vineyards  and  of  the  wine  made, 
at  VEVAY,  on  the  OHIO.  He  says,  that,  that  year, 
about  jive  thousand  gallons  of  wine  were  made ; 
and,  he  observes,  what  more  can  be  wanted  for  the 
grape-vine,  than  rich  land  and  hot  sun. — Besides,  is 
not  the  grape-vine  a  native  here  ?  There  are  many 
different  sorts  of  grapes,  that  grow  in  the  woods, 
climb  the  trees,  cover  some  of  them  over,  and  bear 
and  ripen  their  fruit.  How  often  do  we  meet  with 
a  vine,  in  the  autumn,  with  Grapes,  called  chicken 
grapes,  hanging  on  it  from  every  bough  of  an  oak 
or  some  other  timber-tree  !  This  grape  resembles, 
as  nearly  as  possible,  what  is,  in  England,  called 
the  Black  cluster  ;  and,  unquestionably,  only  wants 
cultivation  to  give  it  as  good  a  flavour.  Does  the 
Rose  bug"  prevent  these  vines  from  bearing,  or  from 
ripening  their  fruit? — Taking  it  for  granted,  then, 
that  this  obstacle  is  imaginary,  rather  than  real,  I 
shall  now  proceed  to  speak  of  the  propagation  and 


Y'.j  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  ISO 

cultivation  of  the  grape-vine  in  the  open  ground 
of  a  garden,  and,  in  doing  this,  I  shall  have  fre- 
quently to  refer  to  PLATE  III. — The  grape-vine  i? 
raised  from  cuttings,  or  from  layers.  As  to  the 
first,  you  cut  off,  as  early  as  the  ground  is  open  in 
the  spring,  a  piece  of  -the  last  year's  wood  ;  that  is 
to  say,  a  piece  of  a  shoot,  which  grew  during  the 
last  summer.  This  cutting  should,  if  convenient, 
have  an  inch  or  two  of  the  former  year's  wood  at 
the  bottom  of  it ;  hut,  this  is  by  no  means  abso- 
lutely necessary.  The  cutting  should  have/owr  or 
five  buds  or  joints.  Make  the  ground  rich,  move 
'it  deep,  and  make  it  fine.  Then  put  in  the  cutting 
with  a  setting-stick,  leaving  only  two  buds,  or  joints, 
above  ground  ;  fasten  the  cutting  well  in  the  ground ; 
and,  then,  as  to  keeping  it  cool  and  moist,  see  cut- 
tings, in  Paragraph  275. — Layers  from  grave-vines 
are  obtained  with  great  ease.  You  have  only  to  lay 
a  shoot,  or  limb,  however  young  or  old,  upon  the 
ground,  and  cover  any  part  of  i-t  with  earth,  it  will 
strike  out  roots  the  first  summer,  and  will  become 
a  vine,  to  be  carried  and  planted  in  any. other  place. 
But,  observe,  vines  do  not  transplant  well.  For 
this  reason,  botli  cuttings  and  layers,  if  intended  to 
be  removed,  are  usually  set,  or  layed,  in  flower-pots, 
out  of  which  they  are  turned,  with  the  ball  of  earth 
along  with  them,  into  the  earth  where  they  are  in- 
tended to  grow  and  produce  their  fruit. — I  have 
now  to  speak  more  particularly  of  the  vines  of  my 
garden.  PLATE  I.  represents,  or,  at  least,  I  mean 
it  to  repre-ient,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Plats  No. 
8  and  No.  9,  two  trelis  works  for  vines.  These 
are  to  be  five  feet  high,  and  are  to  consist  of  two 
rows  of  little  upright  bars  two  inches  and  a  half  by 
two  inches,  put  two  feet  into  the  ground,  and  made 
of  Locust,  and  then  they  will,  as  you  well  know, 


190  HIE    AMERICA!*    GARDENER.  [Chap 


V.j  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  191 

iast/br  cvvr,  with-otit  paint  and  without  any  kii  d 
of  trouble. — Now,  then,  bear  in  mind,  that  each  of 
these  Plats,  is,  from  East  to  AVest,  70  feet  long, 
Each  will,  therefore,  take  four  vines,  allowing  to 
each  vine  an  extent  of  16  feet,  and  something  more 
for  overrunning  branches. — Look,  nowr,  at  PLATE 
III,  which  exhibits,  in  all  its  dimensions,  the  cut- 
ting become  a  plant,  FIG.  1.  The  first  year  of  its 
being  a  vine  after  the  leaves  are  ojf  and  before 
pruning,  FIG.  2.  The  same  year's  vine  pruned 
in  winter,  FIG.  3.  The  vine,  in  the  next  summer, 
with  shoots,  leaves,  and  grapes,  FIG.  4. — Having 
measured  your  distances,  put  in  a  cutting  at  each 
place  where  there  is  to  be  a  vine.  You  are  to  leave 
two  joints  or  buds  out  of  ground.  From  these  will 
come  two  shoots  perhaps  ;  and,  if  two  come,  rub 
off  the  top  one  and  leave  the  bottom  one,  and,  in 
winter,  cut  off  the  bit  of  dead  wood  which  will,  in 
[his  case,  stand  above  the  bottom  shoot.  Choose, 
.lowever,  the  upper  one  to  remain,  if  the  lower  one 
be  very  weak.  Or,  a  better  wray  is,  to  put  in  two 
or  three  cuttings  writhin  an  inch  or  two  of  each 
other,  leaving  only  one  bud  to  each  out  of  ground, 
and  taking  away,  in  the  fall,  the  cuttings  that  send 
up  the  weakest  shoots.  The  object  is  to  get  one 
good  shoot  coming  out  as  near  to  the  ground  as 
possible. — This  shoot  you  tie  to  an  upright  stick, 
letting  it  jrrow  its  full  length.  "When  winter  comes, 
cut  this  shoot  down  to  the  bud  nearest  to  the 
ground. — The  next  year  another,  and  a  much 
stronger  shoot  will  come  out ;  and,  when  the  leaves 
are  off,  in  the  fall,  this  shoot  will  be  eight  or  ten 
feet  long,  having  been  tied  to  a  stake  as  it  rose, 
and  will  present  what  is  described  in  FIG.  1,  PLATE 
III.  You  must  make  your  trelis  ;  that  is,  put  in 
your  upright  Locust-bars  to  tie  the  next  summer's 


102  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chu.JK 

shoots  to.  You  will  want  (See  FIG.  2.)  eight  shoots 
to  come  out  to  run  horizontally,  to  be  tied  to  these 
bars.  You  must  now,  then,  in  winter,  cut  off  your 
vine,  leaving  eight  buds,  or  joints.  You  see  there 
is  a  mark  for  this  cut,  at  a,  fig.  1.  During  summer 
8  shoots  will  come,  and.  as  they  proceed  on,  they 
must  be  tied  with  matting,  or  something  soft,  to  the 
bars.  The  whole  vine,  both  ways  included,  is  sup- 
posed to  go  16  feet ;  but,  if  your  tillage  be  good, 
it  will  go  much  further,  and  then  the  ends  must  be 
cut  off  in  winter. — Now,  then,  winter  presents  you 
your  vine  as  in  fig.  2 ;  and  now  you  must  prune, 
which  is  the  all-important  part  of  the  business. — 
Observe,  and  bear  in  mind,  that  little  or  no  fruit 
ever  comes  on  a  grape-vine,  except  on  young  shoots 
that  come  out  of  wood  of  the  last  year.  All  the 
four  last  year's  shoots  that  you  find  in  fig.  2,  would 
send  out  bearers  ;  but,  if  you  suffer  that,  you  will 
have  a  great  parcel  of  small  wood,  and  little  or  no 
fruit  next  year.  Therefore,  cut  off  4  of  the  last 
year's  shoots,  as  at  b.  (Fig.  3.)  leaving  only  one 
bud.  The  four  other  shoots  will  send  out  a  shoot 
from  every  one  of  their  buds,  and,  if  the  vine  be 
strong,  there  will  be  two  bunches  of  grapes  on  each 
of -these  young  shoots  ;  and,  as  the  last  year's  shoots 
are  supposed  to  be  each  8  feet  long,  and  as  there 
generally  is  a  bud  at,  or  about,  every  half  foot, 
every  last  year's  shoot  will  produce  32  bunches  of 

§  rapes  ;  every  vine  128  bunches  ;  and  the  8  vines 
12  ;  and,  possibly,  nay,  probably,  so  many  pou?ids 
of  grapes  !  Is  this  incredible  ?  Take,  then,  this 
well  known  fact,  that  there  is  a  grape  vine,  a  single 
vine,  with  only  one  stem,  in  the  King  of  England's 
Gardens  at  his  palace  of  Hampton^ Court,  which 
has,  for,  perhaps,  half  a  century,  produced  on  an 
average,  annually,  a  ton  of  grapes;  that  is  tc 


V  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  193 


say,  2,240  pounds  Avoirdupois  weight.  That  vi 
covers  a  space  of  about  40  feet  in  length  and  20  in 
breadth.  And  your  two  trelises,  being,  together, 
128  feet  long,  and  4  deep,  would  form  a  space  of 
more  than  half  the  dimensions  of  the  vine  of 
Hampton  Court.  However,  suppose  you  have 
only  &ffth  part  of  what  you  might  have,  a  hun- 
dred bunches  of  grapes  are  worth  a  great  deal 
more  than  the  annual  trouble,  which  is,  indeed, 
very  little.  Fig.  4  shows  a  vine  in  summer.  You 
see  the  four  shoots  bearing,  and  four  other  shoots 
coming  on  for  the  next  year,  from  the  butts  left  at 
the  winter  pruning,  as  at  b.  These  four  latter  you 
are  to  tie  to  the  bars  as  they  advance  on  during  the 
summer.  —  When  winter  comes  again,  you  are  to 
cut  off  the  four  shoots  that  sent  out  the  bearers 
during-  the  summer,  arid  leave  the  four  that  grew 
out  of  the  butts.  Cut  the  four  old  shoots  that  have 
borne,  so  as  to  leave  but  one  bud  at  the  butt.  And 
they  will  then  be  sending  out  wood,  while  the  other 
four  will  be  sending  out  fruit.  .And  thus  you  go  on 
year  after  year  for  your  life  ;  for,  as  to  the  vine,  it 
will,  if  well  treated,  outlive  you  and  your  children 
to  the  third  and  even  thirtieth  generation.  I  think 
they  say,  that  the  vine  at  Hampton  Court  was 
planted  in  the  reign  of  King  William.  —  During  the 
summer  there  are  two  things  to  be  observed,  as  to 
pruning.  Each  of  the  last  year's  shoots  has  32 
.buds,  and,  of  course,  it  sends  out  32  shoots  with  . 
the  grapes  on  them,  for  the  grapes  come  out  of  the 
2  first  fair  buJs  of  these  shoots.  So  that  here 
would  be  an  enormous  quantity  of  wood,  if  it  were 
all  left  till  the  end  of  summer.  But,  this  must  not 
be.  When  the  grapes  get  as  big  as  peas,  cut  off 
the  green  shoots  that  bear  them,  at  two  buds  dis- 
tance from  the  fruit.  This  is  necessary  in  order  to 
17 


194  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENTER.  [Chap. 

clear  the  vine  of  confusion  of  branches,  and  also 
to  keep  the  sap  back  for  the  supply  of  the  fruit. 
These  new  shoots,  that  have  the  bunches  on,  must 
l>e  kept  tied  to  the  trelis,  or  else  the  wind  would 
tear  them  off.  The  other  thing  is,  to  take  care 
to  keep  nicely  tied  to  the  bars  the  shoots  that  are 
to  send  forth  bearers  the  next  year  ;  and,  if  you 
observe  any  little  side-shoots  coming  out  of  them 
to  crop  these  off  as  soon  as  they  appear,  leaving 
nothing  but  the  clear,  clean  shoot.  It  may  be  re- 
marked, that  the  butt,  as  at  b,  when  it  is  cut  off  the 
next  time,  will  be  longer  by  a  bud.  That  will  be 
so  ;  but,  by  the  third  year  the  vine  will  be  so  strong 
that  you  may  safely  cut  the  shoots  back  to  within 
six  inches  of  the  main  trunk,  leaving  the  new 
shoots  to  come  out  of  it  where  they  \vill ;  taking 
care  to  let  but  one  grow  for  the  summer.  If  shoots 
start  out  of  the  main  trunk  irregularly,  rub  them 
off  as  soon  as  they  appear,  and  never  suffer  your 
vine  tt)  have  any  more  than  its  regular  number  o> 
shoots.  As  to  cultivation  of  the  ground,  the 
ground  should  not  only  be  deeply  dug  in  the  fall, 
but,  with  a  fork,  two  or  three  times  during  the 
summer.  They  plough  between  them  in  Langue- 
doc,  as  we  do  between  the  Indian  Corn.  The 
ground  should  be  manured  every  fall,  with  good 
rich  manure.  Blood  of  any  kind  is  excellent  for 
vines.  But,  in  a  word,  the  tillage  and  the  manuring 
cannot  be  too  good.  All  that  now  remains  is  to 
speak  of  the  sorts  of  grapes.  The  climate  of  this 
country  will  ripen  any  sort  of  grape.  But,  it  may 
be  as  well  to  have  some  that  come  early.  The 
Black  July  grape,  as  it  is  called  in  England,  or,  as 
it  is  called  in  France,  the  Noir  Hatif,  is  the  earliest 
of  all.  I  would  have  this  for  one  of  my  eight 
vines  ;  and,  for  the  other  seven  I  would  have,  the 


V.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  105 

Chasse.as ;  the  Burgundy  ;  the  Black  Muscadine  ; 
the  Black  Frontinac ;  the  Red  Frontinac;  the 
\Vhite  Sweet  Water;  and  the  Black  Hamburgh, 
which  is  the  sort  of  the  Hampton-Court  Vine. — In 
cases  where  grapes  are  to  be  grown  against  houses, 
or  to  be  trained  over  bowers,  the  principle  is  the 
same,  though  the  form  may  differ.  If  against  the 
side  of  a  house,  the  main  stem  of  the  vine  might,  by 
degrees,  be  made  to  go,  I  dare  say,  a  hundred  feet 
high.  Suppose  40  feet.  In  that  case,  it  would  be 
forty  instead  of  four  ;  but  the  side  shoots,  or  alter- 
nate bearing  limbs,  would  still  come  out  in  the  same 
manner.  The  stem,  or  side  limbs,  may,  with  the 
greatest  ease,  be  made  to  accommodate  themselves 
to  windows,  or  to  any  interruptions  of  smoothness 
on  the  surface.  If  the  side  of  the  house,  or  place, 
be  not  very  high,  not  more  than  15  or  20  feet ;  the 
best  way  is  to  plant  the  vine  in  the  middle  of  your 
space,  and,  instead  of  training  an  upright  stem, 
take  the  two  lowest  shoots  and  lead  them  along, 
one  from  each  side  of  the  plant,  to  become  stems, 
to  lie  along  within  six  inches  or  a  foot  of  the  ground. 
These  will,  of  course,  send  out  shoots,  which  you 
will  train  upright  against  the  building,  and  which 
you  will  cut  out  alternately,  as  directed  in  the 
other  case. 

311.  HUCKLEBERRY.— It  is  well  known  that 
it  grows  wild  in  great  abundance,  in  many  parts, 
and  especially  in  Long  Island,  where  it  gives  rise 
to  a  holiday,  called  Huckleberry  Monday.  It  is  a 
very  good  fruit  for  tarts  mixed  with  Currants  ;  and 
by  no  means  bad  to  eat  in  its  raw  state. 
'312  MADEIRA  NUT.— See  Walnut. 

o!3.  MEDLAR.— A  very  poor  thing  indeed.  The 
Medlar  is  propagated  by  grafting  on  crai-stocks, 
or  pear-stocks.  It  is,  at  any  rate,  especially  in  this 


196  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

country,  a  thing  not  worthy  of  a  place  in  a  garden. 
At  best,  it  is  only  one  degree  better  than  a  rotten 
apple. 

314.  MELON.— See  Melon  in  Chapter  IV. 

315.  MULBERRY. — This  tree  is  raised  from 
cuttings  or  from  layers.     See  Paragraphs  275  and 
377.      The    White-Mulberry,   which  is   the  finest, 
and  which  the  Silk  worm  feeds  on,  grows  wild,  and 
bears  well,  at  two  miles  from  the  spot  where  I  am 
now  writing. 

316.  NECTARINE. — As  to  propagation,  planting 
and  cultivation,   the  Nectarine  is,  in  all  respects, 
the  same  as  the   peach,  which,   therefore,  see.     It 
is  certainly  a  finer  fruit,  especially  the  Violet  Nec- 
tarine ;  but,  it  is  not  grown,  or,  but  very  little,  in 
America.     I  cannot  believe,  that  there  is  any  in- 
surmountable obstacle  in  the  way.     It  is  grown  in 
England  very  well.      The    White  French  would 
certainly  do  here  ;  and  it  is  the  most  beautiful  of 
fruit,  and  a  greater  bearer,  though  not  so  fine  in 
flavour,  as  the  Violet.    The  Newington,  the  Roman. 
are  by  no  means   so   good.     I  would  have  in  the 
Garden  three  trees  of  each  of  the  two  former. 

317.  NUT.— Grows    wild.      Not  worthy   of   a 
place  in  the  Garden.     Is  propagated,  and  the  fruit 
preserved,  like  Filberd,  which  see. 

318.  PEACH. — The  peach  being  the  principal 
tree  for  the   garden,   I  shall,  under  this  head,  give 
directions   for  pruning1  and  forming  the  tree. — 
Peaches   are  propagated  by  budding.     The  stock 
should  be  of  plum,  for  the  reasons  given  in  Para- 
graph 281. — The  U-ee  is  to  be  planted,  agreeably  to 
the  directions  in  Paragraphs  282  to  28S.    And  now 
for  the  pruning  and  forming  the   tree.     Look  at 
PLATE  IV.  fig.  2,  and  f.p:  3.     The  first  is  a  peach 
tree  such  as  I  would    have  it  at  four  or  five  years, 


THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 


197 


198  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

old  ;  the  last  is  a  peach  tree  such  as  we  generally 
see  at  that  age.  The  practice  is  to  plant  the  tree, 
and  to  let  it  grow  in  its  own  way.  The  conse- 
quence is,  that,  in  a  few  years,  it  runs  up  to  a  long 
naked  stem  with  two  or  three  long  naked  hmbs, 
having  some  little  weak  boughs  at  the  tops,  and, 
the  tree  being  top-heavy,  is,  nineteen  times  out  of 
twenty,  leaning  on  one  side  ;  arid,  it  presents,  alto- 
gether, a  figure  by  no  means  handsome  i;i  itself  or 
creditable  to  the  owner. — This  is  jig.  3. — Now,  to 
have  fig.  2,  the  following  is  the  way. — The  tree 
should,  in  the  first  place,  be  budded  very  near  to  the 
ground.  After  it  be  planted,  cut  it  down  to  within 
a  foot  and  a  half  of  the  ground,  and  always  cut 
sloping  close  to  a  bud.  In  this  foot  and  a  half,  there 
will  be  many  buds,  and  they  will,  the  first  summer, 
send  out  many  shoots.  Now,  when  shoots  begin 
to  appear,  rub  them  all  off  but  three,  leave  the  top 
one,  and  one  on  each  side,  at  suitable  distances 
lower  down.  These  will,  in  time  become  limbs. 
The  next  year,  top  the  upright  shoot  (that  came 
out  of  the  top  bud)  again,  so  as  to  bring  out  other 
horizontal  limbs,  pointing  in  a  different  direction 
from  those  that  came  out  the  last  year.  Thus  the 
tree  will  get  a  spread.  After  this,  you  must  keep 
down  the  aspiring  shoots ;  and,  every  winter,  cut 
out  some  of  the  weak  wood,  that  the  tree  may  not 
be  over-burdened  with  wood.  If,  in  time,  the  tree 
he  getting  thin  of  bearing  wood  towards  the  trunk, 
cut  some  of  the  limbs  back,  and  they  will  then  send 
out  many  shoots,  and  fill  up  the  naked  places.  The 
lowest  limb  of  the  tree,  should  come  out  of  the 
trunk  at  not  more  than  9  or  10  inches  from  the 
ground.  The  greater  part  of  the  tree  will  be  within 
the  reach  of  a  man  from  the  ground  ,  and  a  short 
step-ladder  reaches  the  rest. — By  this  management 


V.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  199 

the  tree  is  always  in  a  state  of  full  bearing.  Always 
young.  To  talk  of  a  tree's  being  worn  out  is  non- 
sense. But,  without  pruning,  it  will  soon  wear  out. 
It  is  the  pruning  that  makes  it  always  young.  In 
the  "Ecole  du  Jar  din  Potagur,"  by  Monsieur  DE 
COMBLES,  there  is  an  account  of  peach  trees  in  full 
bearing  at  fifty  years  old.  And,  little  do  people 
here  imagine  to  what  a  distance  a  peach  tree  will, 
if  properly  managed,  extend.  Mr.  DE  COMBLES 
speaks  of  numerous  peach  trees  extending  to  more 
than  fifty  feet  in  length  on  the  trelis,  and  twelve  feet 
in  breadth,  or  height,  and  in  full  bearing  in  every 
part.  Here  is  a  space  of  six  hundred  square  feet, 
and,  in  case  of  a  good  crop,  four  peaches  at  least 
in  every  square  foot,  making,  in  the  whole,  2,400 
peaches,  which  would  fill  little  short  of  ten  or  twelve 
bushels.  This  is  to  be  seen  any  year  at  MONT- 
REUIL  in  France.  To  be  sure,  these  trees  are  tied 
to  trelises,  and  have  walls  at  their  back  ;  but,  this 
climate  requires  neither ;  and,  surely,  fine  trees  and 
fine  fruit  and  large  crops  may  be  had  in  a  country 
where  blights  are  almost  unknown,  and  where  the 
young  fruit  is  never  cut  off  by  frosts,  as  it  is  in 
England  and  France.  To  preserve  the  young  fruit 
in  those  countries,  people  are  compelled  to  cover 
the  trees  by  some  means  or  other,  in  March  and 
April.  Here  there  needs  no  such  thing  When 
you  see  the  blossom,  you  know  that  the  fruit  is  to 
follow.  By  looking  at  the  Plan  of  the  Garden, 
PLATE  I,  you  will  see,  that  the  Plats,  No,  8  and  9, 
contain  30  trees  and  the  two  vine-trelises.  The 
Plats  are,  you  will  remember,  70  feet  long  and  56 
wide.  Of  course,  putting  5  trees  one  way  and  4 
the  other,  each  tree  has  a  space  of  14  feet,  so  that 
the  branches  may  extend  horizontally  7  feet  from 
the  trunk  of  the  tree,  before  they  meet.  In  these 


*JUO  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Cll&p. 

two  Plats  14  feet  wide  is  left  clear  for  the  grape 
vines. — These  30  Peach-trees,  properly  managed, 
would  yield  more  fruit,  even  in  bulk,  than  a  large 
orchard  in  the  common  way;  and  ten  times  as  much 
in  point  of  value  ;  the  size  as  well  as  the  flavour  of 
the  fruit  are  greatly  improved  by  this  mode  of  cul- 
ture.— However,  the  sort  is  of  very  great  conse- 
quence. It  is  curious  enough,  that  people  in  gene- 
ral think  little  of  the  sort  in  the  case  of  peaches, 
though  they  are  so  choice  in  the  case  of  apples.  A 
peach  is  a  peach,  it  seems,  though  J  know  of  no  ap- 
ples between  which  there  is  more  difference  than 
there  is  between  different  sorts  of  peaches,  some  of 
Munich  melt  in  the  mouth,  while  others  are  little 
better  than  a  white  turnip. — The  sort  is,  then,  a 
matter  of  the  first  importance  ;  and,  though  the 
sorts  are  very  numerous,  the  thirty  trees  that  I 
would  have  should  be  as  follows  : — 1  Violette  Ha- 
tive,  6  Early  Montaubon,  1  Vanguard,  6  Royul 
George,  6  Grosse  Mignonne,  4  Early  Noblesse, 
3  Gallande,  2  Bellgarde,  2  Late  Noblesse.  These 
are  all  to  be  had  of  Mr.  PRINCE,  of  Flushing,  in  this 
island,  and,  as  to  his  word,  every  body  knows  that 
it  may  be  safely  relied  on.  What  is  the  trifling  ex- 
pense of  30  trees  !  And,  when  you  once  have  them, 
you  propagate  from  them  for  your  life.  Even  for 
the  feeding  of  hogs,  a  gallon  of  peaches  of  either 
of  the  above  sorts  is  worth  twenty  gallons  of  the 
poor,  pale,  tasteless  things  that  we  see  brought  to 
market. — As  to  dried  peaches,  every  body  knows 
that  they  are  managed  as  dried  apples  are ;  onlv 
that  they  must  be  gathered  for  this  purpose  before 
they  be  soft. 

319.  PEAR. — Pears  are  grafted  on  pear-stockf 
on  quince-stocks,  or  on  those  of  the  white-thorr 
The  last  is  best,  because  most  durable,  and,  f(; 


V.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  20 J 

dwarf  trees,  much  the  best,  because  they  do  not 
throw  up  wood  so  big  and  so  lofty.  For  orchards, 
pear-stocks  are  best ;  but  not  from  suckers  on  any 
account.  They  are  sure  to  fill  the  orchard  with 
suckers. — The  pruning  for  your  pear  trees  in  the 
garden  should  be  that  of  the  peach.  The  pears  will 
grow  higher;  but  they  may  be  made  to  spread  at 
bottom,  and  that  will  keep  them  from  towering  too 
much.  They  should  stand  together,  in  one  of  the 
Plats,  10  or  11. — The  sorts  of  pears  are  numerous  ; 
the  six  that  I  should  choose  are,  the  Vergalousc, 
the  Winter  Bergamot,  the  D'Auche,  the  Beurre, 
the  Chaumontelle,  the  Winter  Bonchretian. 

320.  PLUMS. — How  is  it  that  we  see  so  few 
plums  in  America,  when  the  markets  are  supplied 
with  cart-loads  in  such  a  chilly,  shady,  and  blighty 
country  as  England.     A  Green-gage  Plum  is  very 
little  inferior  to  the  very  finest  peach  ;  and  I  never 
tasted  a  better  Green-gage  than  I  have  at  New  York. 
It  must,  therefore,  be  negligence.     But  Plums  are 
prodigious  bearers,  too  ;  and  would  be  very  good 
for  hogs  as  well  as  peaches. — This  tree  is  grafted 
upon  plum-stocks,  raised  from  stones  by  all  means  ; 
for  suckers  send  out  a  forest  of  suckers. — The  pru- 
ning is  precisely  that  of  the  peach. — The  six  trees 
that  I  would  have  in  the  garden  should  be  4  Green 
gages,  1  Orlean,  1  Blue  Pcrdigron. 

321.  QUINCE. — Should   grow  in  a  moist  place 
and  in  very  rich  ground.    It  is  raised  from  cuttings, 
or  layers,  and  these  are  treated  like  other  cuttings 
and  layers. — Quinces  are  dried  like  apples. 

322.'  RASPBERRY— 4  sort,  jf  woody  herb,  but 
produces  fruit  that  vies,  in  point  of  crop  as  well  as 
flavour,  with  that  of  the  proudest  tree.  I  have  ne- 
ver seen  them  fine  in  America  since  I  saw  them  co- 
vering hundreds  of  thousands  of  acres  of  ground  in 


202  THE    AMERICAN    GARLfENER. 

t'he  Province  of  New  Brunswick.  They  come  ther< 
even  in  the  interstices  of  the  rocks,  and,  when  tin 
August  sun  lias  parched  up  the  leaves,  the  landscapt 
is  red  with  the  fruit.  Where  woods  have  beer 
burnt  down,  the  raspberry  and  the  huckle-berry  in 
stantly  spring  up,  divide  the  surface  between  them 
and  furnish  autumnal  food  for  flocks  of  pigeons  tha 
darken  the  earth  beneath  their  flight.  Whena 
these  plants  come,  and  cover  spots  thirty  or  fort} 
miles  square,  which  have  been  covered  with  wood; 
for  ages  upon  ages,  I  leave  for  philosophers  to  say 
contenting  myself  with  relating  how  they  come  am 
how  they  are  treated  in  gardens. — They  are  raisec 
from  suckers,  though  they  may  be  raised  from  cut 
ting-s.  The  suckers  of  this  year,  are  planted  ou 
in  rows,  six  feet  apart,  and  the  plants  two  feet  apar 
in  the  rows.  This  is  done  in  the  fall,  or  early  ii 
the  spring.  At  the  time  of  planting  they  shouh 
be  cut  down  to  within  afoot  of  the  ground.  The} 
will  bear  a  little,  and  they  will  send  out  severa 
suckers  which  will  bear  the  next  year. — About  fou: 
is  enough  to  leave,  and  those  of  the  strongest 
These  should  be  cut  off  in  the  fall,  or  early  ir 
spring,  to  within  four  feet  of  the  ground,  and  shoulc 
be  tied  to  a  small  stake.  A  straight  branch  of  Lo 
cust  is  best,  and  then  the  stake  lasts  a  life-time  ai 
least,  let  the  life  be  as  long  as  it  may.  The  nex 
year  more  suckers  come  up,  which  are  treated  ir 
the  same  way. — Fifty  clumps  are  enough,  if  wel 
managed. — There  are  white  and  red,  some  like  onf 
best  and  some  the  other.  To  have  them  fine,  yot 
must  dig  in  manure  in  the  Autumn,  and  keep  the 
ground  clean  during  the  Summer  by  hoeing. — I  have 
tried  to  dry  the  fruit ;  but  it  lost  its  flavour.  Rasp- 
berry-Jam is  a  deep-red  sug-ar ;  and  raspberry- 
xvine  is  red  brandy,  rum,  or  whiskey  ;  neither  hav- 


V.J  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  ti03 

ing  the  taste  of  the  fruit.  To  cat  cherries,  pre 
screed  in  spirits,  is  only  an  apology,  and  a  very 
poor  and  mean  one,  for  dram-drinking ;  a  practice 
which  every  man  ought  to  avoid,  and  the  very 
thought  of  giving  way  to  which  ought  to  make  the 
check  of  a  woman  redden  with  shame. 

323.  STRAWBERRY.— This  plant  is  a  native 
of  the  fields  and  woods  here,  as  it  is  in  Europe. 
There  are  many  sorts,  and  all  are  improved  by  cul- 
tivation. The  Scarlet,  the  Alpine,  the  Turkey,  the 
Haut-bois,  or  high-stalked,  and  many  others,  some 
of  which  are  white,  and  some  of  so  deep  a  red  as 
to  approach  towards  a  black.  To  say  which  sort  is 
best  is  very  difficult.  A  variety  of  sorts  is  best. — 
They  are  propagated  from  young  plants  that  grow 
out  of  the  old  ones.  In  the  summer  the  plant  sends 
forth  runners.  Where  these  touch  the  ground,  at 
a  certain  distance  from  the  plant,  come  roots,  and 
from  these  roots,  a  plant  springs  up.  This  plant  is 
put  out  early  in  the  fall.  It  takes  root  before  win- 
ter ;  and  the  next  year  it  will  bear  a  little  ;  and  send 
out  runners  of  its  own. — To  make  a  Stra \vberry- 
beor,  plant  three  rows  a  foot  apart,  and  at  8  inches 
apart  in  the  rows.  Keep  the  ground  clean,  and  the 
new  plants,  coming  from  runners,  will  fill  up  the 
whoie  of  the  ground,  and  will  extend  the  bed  on 
the  sides. — Cut  off  the  runners  at  six  inches  dis- 
tance from  the  sides,  and  then  you  have  a  bed  three 
feel  -wide,  covering  all  the  ground;  and  this  is  the 
best  way ;  for  the  fruit  then  lodges  on  the  stems 
anil  leaves,  and  is  not  beaten  into  the  dirt  by  heavy 
rains,  which  it  is  if  the  plants  stand  in  clumps  with 
clear  ground  between  them. — If  you  have  more 
beds  than  one,  there  should  be  a  clear  space  of  two 
feet  wide  between  them,  and  this  space  should  be 
well  manured  arid  deeply  digged  every  fall,  and  kept 


204  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

clean  by  hoeing  in  the  summer.  If  weeds  come  up 
in  the  beds,  they  should  be  carefully  pulled  out. — 
fn  November  <he  leaves  should  be  cut  off  with  a 
scythe,  or  reap-hook,  and  there  should  be  a  little 
good  mouldy  manure  scattered  over  them. — They 
will  last  in  this  way  for  many  years.  When  they 
begin  to  fail,  make  new  beds.  Supposing  you  to 
have  five  or  six  beds,  you  may  make  one  ne\v  one 
every  year  and  thus  keep  your  supply  always  ample. 

324.  VINE.— See  Grape. 

325.  WALNUT.— The  butter-nut,  the  black  wal- 
nut, the  hickory  or  white  walnut,  are  all  inhabitants 
of  the  American  woods.     The  English  and  French 
Walnut,  called  here  the  Madeira  Nut,  is  too  sensi- 
ble of  the   frost    to    thrive  much    in   this   climate. 
Two  that  I  sent  to  Pennsylvania  in  1800  are  alive, 
and   throw   out  shoots  every  year;  but  they  have 
got  to  no  size,  their  shoots  being  generally  cut  down 
in  winter. — Walnuts  are  raised  from  seed. — To  pre- 
serve this  seed,  which  is  also  the  fruit,   you  must 
treat  it  like  that  of  the  Filberd,  which  see. — It  is 
possible,  that  the  Madeira  Nut  grafted  upon  the 
black  walnut,   or  upon    either  of   the    other  two, 
might  thrive  in  this  climate. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FLOWERS. 

OF  FLOWERS,  AND  OF  ORNAMENTAL  GARDENING  'N 
GENERAL. 

326.  My  reason  for  making  Flowers  a  part  of  my 
subject,  have  been  stated  in  Paragraphs  6  and  97. 
However,  if  the  American  Farmer  have  no  taste 


VI.]  1HE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  205 

for  flowers,  his  wife  and  daughters  may;  and  this 
part  of  the  book  can,  at  any  rate,  do  him  no  harm. 
.  327.  Under  the  head  of  Flowers  come  flowering 
trees  and  shrubs;  and,  therefore,  I  must,  in  this 
place,  say  a  little  of  these  and  of  ornamental  gar- 
dening. It  is  by  no  means  my  intention  to  attempt 
io  give  an  account  of  all  the  flowers  that  come  into 
the  florist's  catalogue.  That  catalogue,  with  only 
a  very  short  description  of  each  flower,  would  fill 
ten  volumes,  each  surpassing  this  in  bulk.  I  do  not 
blame  the  taste  of  those  who  study  botany,  and  who 
find  pleasure  in  the  possession  of  curious  trees  and 
plants  ;  but,  all  that  I  shall  attempt,  is,  to  speak  ot 
those  flowers  that  stand  most  prominent  as  to  their 
capacity  of  making  a  beautiful  show  and  of  sending 
forth  fragrance. 

3*28.  As  to  the  spot  for  flowers,  the  smaller  kinds, 
and  even  small  shrubs,  such  as  roses,  dwarf  honey- 
suckles, and  the  like,  may  be  planted  by  the  sides 
of  the  broad  walks  in  the  kitchen  garden,  or,  a  lit- 
tle piece  of  ground  may  be  set  apart  for  the  pur- 
pose. In  cases  where  there  are  what  are  usually 
called  pleasure-grounds,  large  shrubs,  and,  if  the 
grounds  be  extensive,  lofty  trees  come  in.  And,  in 
the  placing  of  the  whole  of  the  trees  and  plants, 
the  most  lofty  should  be  farthest  from  the  walk. 

329.  As  to  the  manner  of  sowing,  planting,  trans- 
planting, and  cultivating,  what  has  been  said  of  fruit 
trees  and  of  garden  vegetables  and  herbs  applies 
here.     The  ground  must  be  good,  well  tilled,  and 
kept  clean,  or  the  plants  and  flowers  will  not  be  line. 

330.  Before  I  proceed  to  the  Alphabetical  List, 
let  me  again  observe,  that  I  merely  give  a  selection, 
such  as  appears  to  me  to  be  best  calculated  for  gra- 
tifying, at  different  seasons,  the  sight,  or  the  smell, 
or  both.     That  there  is  a  great  deal   in  rarity  ig 

18 


200  THE    AMERICAN     GARDENER.  [Chap 

evident  enough;  for,  while  the  English  think  no 
thing  of  the  Hawthorn,  the  Americans  think  no 
thing  of  the  Arbutus,  the  Rhododendron,  the  Kal- 
inin, and  hundreds  of  other  shrubs,  which  are 
amongst  the  choicest  in  England.  The  little  dwarf 
nrusli  stuff,  that  infects  the  plains  in  Long  Island 
under  the  name  of  "  Kill- Calf,"  is,  under  a  tine  La- 
tin name,  a  choice  green-house  plant  in  England, 
selling  for  a  dollar  when  not  bigger  than  a  handful 
of  thyme.  Nay,  that  accursed  stinking  thing,  with 
a  yellow  flower,  called  the  "  Plain-Weed  "  which 
is  the  torment  of  the  neighbouring  farmer,  has  been, 
above  all  the  plants  in  this  world,  chosen  as  the 
most  conspicuous  ornament  of  the  front  of  the 
King  of  England's  grandest  palace,  that  of  Hamp- 
ton-Court, where,  growing  in  a  rich  soil  to  the 
height  of  five  or  six  feet,  it,  under  the  name  of 
"  Golden  Rod,"  nods  over  the  whole  length  of  the 
edge  of  a  walk,  three  quarters  of  a  mile  long  and, 
perhaps  thirty  feet  wide,  the  most  magnificent  per- 
haps, in  Europe.  But,  be  not  too  hasty,  Ame- 
rican, in  laughing  at  John  Bull's  king  ;  for,  I  see, 
as  a  choice  flower  in  your  gardens,  that  still  more 
pernicious  European  weed,  which  the  French  call 
the  Coquelicot,  and  the  English,  the  Corn-Poppy, 
which  stifles  the  barley,  the  wheat,  and  especially 
the  peas,  and  frequently  makes  the  fields  the  colour 
of  blood. 

331.  This  is  quite  sufficient  to  show  the  power 
of  rarity  in  affixing  value  on  shrubs  and  flowers. 
The  finest  flowering  trees  and  shrubs  in  England 
have  been  got  from  America.  The  Wild  Cherry, 
which  they  call  the  bird-cherry,  which  here  grows 
sometimes  to  the  height  of  a  hundred  feet  and  one 
of  which  I  can  now  see  from  my  window  more 
than  seventy  feet  high  ;  the  Locust,  most  beautiful! 


VTI.]  THE    AMERICAN     GARDENER. 

of  trees  and  best  of  timber  ;  th«  Catalpha,  blossoms 
far  more  beautiful  than  those  of  the  horse-chestnut, 
broad  and  beautiful  leaves  that  do  not  scorch  in  the 
hottest  sun  ;  all  the  beautifully  blowing  Laurel- 
tribe  ;  the  Rose  of  Charon  (as  it  is  called  here)  and 
the  Althea  Frutex ;  the  Azalia  of  all  colours ; 
Roses  of  several  kinds.  But,  there  is  one  shrub  of 
the  larger  kind,  abundant  here,  that  I  never  saw 
there,  and  that  is  the  thing  which  some  call  the 
Morning  Star.  It  has  six  leaves  in  its  flower, 
which  is  in  the  form  of  the  flower  of  the  single 
rose.  The  whole  flower  when  open,  is  about  three- 
times  the  circumference  of  a  dollar.  Some  of 
the  trees  bear  blossoms  quite  white,  and  others 
blossoms  of  a  whitish  peach  blossom  colour. 
These  blossoms  come  the  earliest  in  the  spring. 
They  are  out  full,  in  Long  Island,  in  the  first  week 
in  May,  which  is  rather  earlier  than  the  peach- 
blossoms.  In  England,  they  would  be  out  full,  on 
an  average  of  years,  in  the  last  week  of  February, 
which  is  an  anticipation  of  all  their  shrubs.  The 
trees,  which  is  a  great  quality,  thrive  well  under 
other  trees,  which,  indeed,  seems  to  be  their  nature. 
You  see,  from  a  great  distance,  their  bright  and 
large  blossoms,  unaccompanied  by  leaves,  shining 
through  the  boughs  of  the  other  trees  ;  and  some 
of  them  reach  the^height  of  forty  feet.  This,  there- 
fore, is  a  very  fine  flowering  tree  ;  and  yet  I  never 
:a\v  one  of  the  kind  in  England.  How  beautiful  a 
grove  might  be  made  of  this  tree,  the  wild-cherry, 
the  Locust,  the  Catalpha,  and  the  Althea-frutex ! 
And  here  they  are  all,  only  for  the  trouble  of  sow- 
ing ;  for  from  the  seed  the  tree  will  surely  come. 

332.  I  shall  now  proceed  to  give  an  Alphabetical 
List  of  such  flowering  Trees,  Shrubs,  and  Plants, 
as  I  think  worthy  of  cultivation  ;  or,  rather;  that  I 


208  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Clldp. 

myself  would  wish  to  have  about  my  house,  or  in 
my  garden.  As  I  go  on  I  shall  state  some  par- 
ticulars here  and  there  relating  to  propagation  and 
management :  but,  to  be  very  particular  would  be 
superfluous,  seeing  that  such  full  directions  have 
been  given  in  the  former  parts  of  the  work,  as  to 
the  sowing  of  all  seeds,  great  as  well  as  small  ;  as 
to  the  raising  of  trees  and  plants  from  cuttings, 
slips,  layers  and  suckers,  and  as  to  cultivation  and 
tillage.  Flowers  are  divided  into  annuals,  bien- 
nials and  perennials.  The  first  blow  and  die  the 
year  they  are  sown  ;  the  second  blow  the  second 
year  and  then  die  ;  the  third  sometimes  blow  the 
first  year  and  sometimes  not,  and  die  down  to  the 
ground  annually,  but  spring  up  again  every  spring 
I  have  not  made  separate  lists ;  but  have  included 
the  whole  in  one  Alphabetical  List.  There  are 
sixty  trees,  shrubs  and  plants  altogether  ;  and,  if 
properly  cultivated,  these  will  give  a  grand  bloom 
from  May  to  November. 

LIST. 

333.  ALTHEA  FRUTEX.— It  is  raised   from 
seed,  or  from  suckers.     There  are  several  sorts,  as 
to  colours.  They  should  be  mixed  to  make  a  variety. 
Save  the  seed  in  November  or  December.  The  pods 
are  full.     Sow  in  the  spring.     Seed  produces  the 
handsomest  shrub ;   and  it  is  to  be  got  almost  any 
where. 

334.  ANEMONE. — This  is  a  very  beautiful  flower, 
and  worthy  of  great  pains.      It  is  raised  from  seed, 
or  from  pieces  of  the  roots.  Sow  the  seed  in  spring, 
The  plant  does  not  blow  the  first  year.     The  root, 
which  is  tuberous,  is  taken  up  in  the  fall,  dried  in  the 
sun,  and  put  by  in  the  dry  till  spring,  when  it  is  put 
into  the  ground  again.    And,  during  the  summer,  it 
sends  out  young  roots,  which  must  be  taken  off  and 


VI.]  THE    AMERICAN    CARDENEU.  209 

planted  out,  to  become  blowers.     There  is  a  great 
variety  of  colours  and  of  sizes  of  this  flower. 

335.  ARBUTUS. — A  pretty  ever-green,  as  well 
known  as  the  oak  tree ;  arid  is  to  be  got  every  where. 

336.  ASTRE  (China.) — Astre  is  French  "for  star, 
and  this  flower,  in  its  shape,  resembles  a  star  to  our 
view.     It  is  annual,  bears  great  quantities  of  seed, 
and  is  sown  early  in  spring.     An  infinite  variety  of 
colours,  and  great  quantities  of  blossoms.     It  gives 
no  smell ;  but  a  clump  of  it  furnishes  a  great  mass 
of  beauty  to  the  sight. 

337.  AURICULA.— This  is  one  of  the  flowers, 
the   sorts   of  which    are   distinguished   by  having 
awarded  to  them  the  names  of  famous  men  and  wo- 
men, famous  cities,  and  famous  battles,  and  so  forth. 
It  may  be  raised  from   seed  ;  but  the  flowers  pro- 
ceeding from  plants  so  raised,  do  not  resemble  the 
flowers  of  the  mother  plant,  except  by  mere  acci- 
dent.   It  is  a  chance  if  you  get  a.  fine  flower  from  a 
whole  sown  bed.     Now-and-then  one  of  this  des- 
cription comes,  however,  and  this  adds  to  the  list 
of  names,  if  it  happen  to  be  one  of  the  like  of  which 
has  not  made  its  appearance  before.    Auriculas  are, 
therefore,  propagated  by  parting  the  roots,  and  every 
root  sends  out  several  young  plants  annually.  When 
sown,  they  do  not  blow  till  the  second  year ;  but  the 
old  root  lasts  for  many  years.  Some  of  these  should 
be  potted,  and  kept  to  blow  in  the  green-house.    If 
planted  in  the  natural   ground,   they  ought  to  be 
covered  a  little   in  the  winter.     There  are  many 
hundreds  of  sorts  with  names.     So  many  indeed, 
that  the  godfathers  in  England  have  been  so  put 
to  it  for  great  personages  to  baptize  the  flowers 
after,  that  they  have  been  compelled   to  resort  to 
the  heroes  and  heroines  of  Romance  ;  accordingly 
they  have   Don  Quickset  and  Sancho.     However 

18* 


THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap 

vanity  supplies  the  florists,  as  well  as  the  ship- 
owners, with  a  great  &tore  of  names,  and  auriculas, 
Uke  ships,  are  very  frequently  honoured  with  the 
names  of  the  original  proprietor's  wife  or  daughter. 

338.  AZALIA. — That    little  American   Honey- 
suckle that  impedes  our  steps  when  shooting  on  the 
skirts  of  woods.  It  however,  blows 'profusely,  though 
it  has  no  smell  like  the  English  honeysuckle. 

339.  BALSAM  is  an  annual  and  a  most  beautiful 
plant,  with  great  abundance  of  flowers.    Sow  wher 
you  sow  Melons,  at  a  distance  of  four  feet ;  leave 
only  one  plant  in  a  place  ;  let  the  ground  be  rich 
and  kept  clean  ;  it  will  blow  early  in  July,  and  will 
keep  growing  and  blowing  till  the  frost  comes,  and 
then,  like  the  cucumber,  it  is  instantly  cut  down.    I 
have   seen   Balsams  in  Pennsylvania  3  feev  high, 
with   side-branches  2  feet  long,   arid  with  a  stem 
much  bigger  than  my  wrist,  loaded  with  beautiful 
blossoms.    Plant,  branch,  leaf,  flower  ;  all  are  most 
elegantly  formed,  and  the  colours  of  the  flower  ex- 
traordinarily vivid  and  various.     There  are   how- 
ever, some  more  double  than  others,  and  some  va- 
riegated.    The  seed  of  these  should  be  sowed,  and 
it  comes  in  great  abundance.     The  flower  of  the 
Balsam  has  no  smell. 

340.  BRIAR,  (Sweet.)— A  well  known  shrub  of 
the  rose  kind.     Bows   of  it  carefully  planted   and 
pruned  make  very  good  hedges,  and  it  will  grow  in 
almost  any  ground,  though  fastest  in  good  ground. 

341.  CAM1LLIA.— This  shrub,  which  is  of  the 
laurel-tribe,  has  lately  been  introduced  in  England 
from  Japan.     It  bears  a  flower,  which,  when  open, 
resembles  a  good  deal  a  large  full-blown  rose  ;  and 
these  flowers,  on  different  plants,  are  of -different 
colours.     It  is  raised,  doubtless,  from  seed ;  but  it 
may  be  grafted  on  the  Hawthorn ;  and,  I  dare  say 


VI.]  TIIK    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  211 

on  the  Crab.  Some  of  Ihe  plants  have  been  sold 
at  20  or  30  pounds  each,  By  this  time  they  are 
probably  sold  at  a  dollar.  The  plant  as  well  as  the 
ilo\ver  are  handsome  ;  and  certainly  cuttings  for 
grafting  may  easily  be  brought  from  England. 
They  will  stand  the  winter  as  well  as  any  of  the 
American  laurels. 

342.  CARNATION.— Here  is  beauty  and  frag- 
rance, and  both  in  the  highest  degree.  There  are 
various  sorts,  distinguished,  like  those  of  the  Auri- 
cula, by  names ;  and,  what  is  said  of  the  seed  oi 
the  Auricula  applies  here.  If  sown,  the  carnation 
does  not  blow  till  the  second  year.  It  is  usually 
propagated  by  layers.  While  it  is  blowing,  it 
sends  out  several  side  shoots  near  the  ground. 
These  are  pinned  down,  in  August,  to  the  earth 
with  a  little  stick  with  a  hook  at  the  end  of  it.  A 
little  cut,  or  tongue,  is  made  on  the  under  side  of 
the  shoot ;  and  thus  the  head  of  the  shoot  is  brought 
upright.  The  part  that  touches  the  ground  is  well 
covered  with  earth  ;  and  roots  come  out  here  be- 
fore the  fall.  Then  the  stalk,  which  connects  the 
young  plant  with  the  old  one  is  cut  off:  the  young 
plant  is  transplanted,  and  the  next  year  it  blows. 
The  old  root  does  not  stand  another  year  well ;  and, 
therefore,  its  branches  are  thus  made  use  of  to  keep 
up  the  race  and  the  sort. — Carnations  are  rather 
tender  as  to  frost.  And  must  be  well  covered  in 
this  country  to  live  through  the  winter.  It  is  best 
to  put  them  in  large  pots  to  give  room  for  laying" ; 
and  to  keep  them  in  a  green-house  in  winter,  or  in 
some  house,  where  they  can  have  sun  and  air 
However,  they  merit  all  the  pains  that  can  be  be- 
stowed upon  them. 

343.    CATALPHA.— That    beautiful   Ar-c;ricaii 
tree  mentioned  in  Paragraph  329. 


2155  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chap. 

344.  CLOVE. — Is  only  a  more  handy  and  less 
esteemed  sort  of  Carnation,  which  see.    It  may  be 
propagated  like   the  Carnation  ;    or,  by  cuttings, 
which  is  the  easier  way.     Instead  of  laying  down 
the  side  shoots,  you  cut  them  off.     Then'  you  cut 
away  the  hard  part  of  the  shoot,  strip  off  three  or 
four  of  the  bottom   leaves.      Tip  the  rest  of  the 
leaves  ;  make  a  little  split  in  the  butt  of  the  shoot, 
and,  then,  with  a  little  smooth  pointed  stick,  plant 
the  cutting  in  the  ground.    This  is  to  be  done  early 
in  August.     The  young  Cloves  will  have  roots  in 
the  fall ;  and  you  may  transplant  them  into  the  open 
ground  or  into  pots  to  blow  the  next  year.     The 
old  Clove  plant  will,  however,  blow  for  many  years. 
I  should   think,  that,  with  good  covering,  such  as 
directed   for  spinach,   Cloves  would    live  out  the 
winter  in  this  country. 

345.  COLUMBINE.— A  perennial.     Very  com- 
mon ;  but  very  pretty. 

346.  COWSLIP.— This  is  one  of  the  four  flow 
ers,  without  which  English  pastoral  poetry  would 
be  destitute  of  that  which  awakens   the  most  de- 
lightful ideas.     The  Cowslip,   the  Primrose,  the 
Violet,  and  the  Daisy,  are  of  endless  recurrence  in 
that  species  of  writing.     They  all   come  early  in 
the  spring  ;  and  are  all  beautiful.     Neither  of  them 
is  seen  here,  and  they  all  might ;  for  they  will  bear 
any  severity  of  weather.     The  Cowslip  is   of  the 
Polyanthus  tribe.     It  is  of  a  delicate  yellow  colour 
and  sends  forth  many  blossoms  from  the  same  stem 
which  rises  about  six  inches  from  the  ground.     I 
may  easily  be  propagated  from  seed,  which  it  bears 
in  great  abundance,  but,  when  you  once  have  a  plant* 
the  easiest  way,  is  to  propagate  from  offsets.     Th 
plants  raised  from  seed  do  not  blow  till  the  second 
year.     Tho  plant  is  perennial.     The  flower  has  a 


VI.]  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  213 

delicate  sweet  smell,  and  also  sweet  taste,  as  a  prool 
of  which,  cart-loads  of  the  flowers,  plucked  from 
the  stalks,  are  sold  in  London  to  make  "  wine" 
with  ;  that  is  to  say,  to  furnish  drinkers  with  an 
apology  for  swallowing  spirits  under  the  specious 
name  of  Cowslip-wine.  The  leaf  of  the  ilowei 
very  much  resembles  in  shape  the  under  lip  of  a 
cow,  whence,  I  suppose,  our  forefathers  gave  the 
plant  the  name  of  cowslip. 

347.  CROCUS. — A  bulbous  rooted  plant,  very 
well  known.     It  is  recommended   by  its  earliness. 
It  is  perfectly  hardy.     The  only  thing  to  do  when 
it  is  once  planted,  is  to  take  care  that  it  does  not  fill 
all  the  ground  near  it.    There  are  yellow,  blue,  and 
white  Crocuses.  And  they  are  pleasant  when  nothing 
else  is  in  bloom,   except,  at  least,  the  Snowdrop, 
which  departs  soon  after  the  Crocus  begins  to  appear. 

348.  DAISY. — I  cannot  say,  with  Dryden's  dam- 
sels, in  one  of  his  fine  poems,  that  "the  Daisy  swells 
so  sweet ;"  for  it  has  very  little   smell ;  but  it  is  a 
most  beautiful  little  flower,  and  blows  without  ceas- 
ing at  all  times  when  the  grass  grows,  howrever  little 
that  may  be.     The  opening  of  the  Daisy  is  the  sure 
sign  that  there  is  growth  going  on  in  the  grass  ;  and 
these   little  flowers  bespangle  the  lawns  and   the 
meadow's,  the  green  banks  and  the  glades  all  over 
England.    Their  colours  present  an  endless  variety  ; 
and  those  grown  in  gardens  are  double.    The  field- 
Daisy  is  single,  and  about  the  size  of  a  York-Six- 
pence.    Those  in  the   gardens  are  sometimes   as 
broad  as  a  quarter  of  a  dollar.     And   there  is  one 
other  sort  called  the  Hen-and-chicken  Daisy,  that 
has   a  ring  of  little  flowers  surrounding  the  mair 
flower.     This  plant  may  be  raised  from  offsets  or 
seed,  in  which  last  case  it  blows  the  second  year 
It  is  perennial. 


214  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  j  Chap. 

349.  GERANIUM  wants  hardiness  only  to  make 
it  the  finest  flower-plant  of  which  I  have  any  know- 
ledge. Some  give  us  flower  with  little  or  no  leaf; 
others  have  beauty  of  leaf  as  well  as  of  flower,  but 
give  us  no  fragrance  ;  others,  like  the  rose,  give  us 
this  added  to  beauty  of  flower  and  of  leaf,  but,  give 
us  them  only  for  a  part  of  the  year.  But,  the  Ge- 
ranium has  beautiful  leaf,  beautiful  flower,  flagrant 
smell  from  leaf  as  well  as  from  flower,  and  these  it 
has  in  never-ceasing  abun-dance  ;  and  as  to  variety 
of  sorts,  as  well  as  in  leaf  as  in  flower,  it  surpasses 
even  the  flower  of  the  Auricula.  How  delightful 
the  country,  where  Geraniums  form  the  underwood, 
and  the  Myrtles  tower  above  !  Softly,  my  friends. 
Beneath  that  underwood  lurk  the  poisonous  lizards 
and  serpents,  and  through  those  Myrtle  boughs  the 
deadly  winged  adders  rustle  ;  while  all  around  is 
dry  and  burning  sand.  The  Geranium  is  a  native 
of  the  South  of  Africa  ;  and,  though  it  will  not  re- 
ceive its  djeath-blow  from  even  a  sharpish  frost,  it 
will  not  endure  the  winter,  even  in  the  mild  climate 
of  England.  But,  then,  it  is  so  easy  of  cultivation, 
it  grows  so  fast,  blows  so  soon,  and  is  so  little  trou- 
blesome, that  it  seems  to  argue  an  insensibility  to 
the  charms  of  nature  not  to  have  Geraniums  if  we 
have  the  means  of  obtaining  earth  and  sun. — The 
Geranium  is  propagated  from  seed,  or  from  cuttings. 
The  seed,  like  that  of  the  Auricula,  does  not  pro- 
duce flower  or  leaf  like  the  mother  plant,  except  by 
chance.  It  is  easily  saved,  and  for  curiosity's  sake, 
may  be  sown  to  see  if  a  new  variety  will  come. 
But,  a  cutting,  from  any  part  of  the  plant,  old  wood 
or  young  wood,  stuck  into  the  ground,  or  into  a  pot, 
will  grow  and  become  a  plant,  and  will  blow  in  a 
month  from  the  time  you  put  it  into  the  ground 
You  must  have  plants,  indeed,  to  cut  from ;  bu. 


VI.]  THE    AMF11ICAX    GAKDEXER. 

these  may  be,  in  small  number  at  any  rate,  in  a  win- 
dow during  winter.  When  the  spring  ccmes,  cut 
them  up  into  cuttings,  put  these  in  the  ground  where 
you  wish  to  have  plants  during  the  summer.  They 
will  be  in  bloom  by  July,  and,  before  October,  will 
be  large  as  a  currant  tree.  Take  off  cuttings  from 
these  during  September,  put  them  in  pots,  and  they 
are  ready  for  the  next  spring.  If  you  have  a  Green- 
house, you  have  Geraniums  in  full  bloom  all  the 
long  dreary  winter. 

350.  GUELDER-ROSE.— This  is  called  here  the 
Snow-ball  tree.     It  is  raised  either  from  layers  or 
suckers.     Its  bloom  is  of  short  duration  ;  but,  for 
the  time,  makes  a  grand  show  in  a  shrubbery.  The 
suckers  of  it  ought  to  be  dug  clean  away  every  year 

351.  HAWTHORN. — This  tree  has  been  amply 
described  in  Chapter  I,  under  the  head  of  Fencing. 
Sometimes  it  is  called  Hawthorn,  and  sometimes 
White-thorn. 

352.  HEART'S-EASE,  or  Pansey.—A.  beautiful 
little  annual,  which  has  great  varieties,  and  all  ot 
them  pretty.     It  blows  all  the  summer.    It  may  be 
sown  in  the  fall,  without  any  care  about  covering 
the  ground  ;  but,  it  must  not  come  up,  in  this  coun 
try,  till  spring. 

"353.  HEATH. — The  common  English  heath  is 
hardy,  but  ugly.  The  Heaths  from  Africa  are  of 
infinite  variety.  Insignificant  in  flower,  however 
and  must  be  housed  in  Winter.  They  are  propa- 
gated from  seed,  or  from  slips,  and  will  last  a  long 
while.  A  few  in  a  green-house  are  pretty  ;  and  they 
look  gay  in  winter. 

354.  HOLLYHOCK.— This  is  a  fine  showy 
plant  for  a  shubbery.  There  are  double  and  single, 
and  none  but  the  double  should  be  cultivated.  It 
may  be  raised  from  seed,  or  from  offsets.  If  the 


210  THE    /  MER1CAN    GARDENER.  fCIia^ 

former  it  docs  not  blow  till  the  second  year.  I 
will  remain  in  the  ground  many  years,  and  is  per 
fectly  hardy. 

355.  HOLLYHOCK  (Chinese.)— This  is  a  more 
tender  and  far  more  beautiful  kind  than  the  common. 
It  is  raised  from  seed  only  ;  blows  the  second  year 
and  only  that  year.     It  is,  therefore,  a  biennial. 

356.  HONEYSUCKLE.— This,  amongst  all  Eng- 
lish shrubs,  is  the  only  rival  of  the  Rose  ;  and,,  if  put 
to  the  vote,  perhaps  as  many  persons  would  decide 
for  the  one  as  for  the  other.    Its  name  indicates  its 
sweetnes-s  of  taste,  and  the  smell  is  delightful  almost 
beyond  comparison.     The  plant  is  also  beautiful : 
it  climbs  up  houses  and  over  hedges  ;  it  forms  ar 
bors  and  bowers  :  and   has  a  long-continued  sue 
cession  of  blossoms.     It  grows  wild  in  all  parts  ol 
England,  in  many  parts  covering  the  hedges  and 
climbing  up  the  trees.     There  is  little  variety  as  to 
sorts.     That  which  is  cultivated  has  a  larger  and 
deeper-coloured  bloom,  but  the  wild  has  the  sweet- 
est smell. — It  may  be  propagated   from   seed  ;  but 
always  is  from  cuttings  ;  put  into  the  ground  in  the 
spring,  and  treated  like  other  wood-cuttings.     See 
Paragraph  275. 

357.  HYACINTH.— This  is    a   bulbous-rooted 
plant,  and,  like  all  the  plants  of  that  class,  is  peren- 
nial.  It  may  be  rai-sed  from  seed;  but,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  Auricula  and  many  other  plants,  it  is  many 
chances   to  one,  that,  out  of  a  whole  bed,  you  do 
not  get  a   good  flower  ;  and,  perhaps,  it  is  a  hun- 
dred to  one  that  you  do  not  get  a  flower  to  resemble 
the  mother  plant.      Therefore,   none   but  curious 
florists  attempt  to  raise  from  seed.     The  roots  are 
propagated  from  ofF-sets  ;  that  is  to  say,  the  mother 
root,  while  i'tis  blowing,  sends  out,  on  its  sides,  seve- 
ral young  ones.   The  old  root,  young  ones  and  all,  arc 


VI.]  HE    AMERICAN    GARDENER 

put  away  in  a  dry  place,  out  of  the  reach  of  severe 
frost,  till  spring.  Then,  when  you  plant  the  old 
one  out  to  blow  again,  you  take  off  the  young  ones 
and  plant  them  also.  They  do  not  blow  the  first 
year,  and,  if  weak,  not  the  second.  But,  in  time, 
they  do  ;  and  then  they  produce  offsets.  This  is 
the  way  the  Hyacinth  is  multiplied.  It  is  a  fine 
and  fragrant  flower ;  it  blows  early,  and  will  blow 
well  even  in  glasses  in  a  room  ;  but  better  in  earth. 
A  fine  flower  for  a  green-house,  where  it  would  be 
out  in  full  bloom  while  the  snow  was  on  the  ground. 

358.  JASMIN. — Has  the  merit  of  a  very  delighi- 
ful  smell,  and  that  only.     Its  leaf  and  flower  are 
insignificant.     It  climbs,  however,  and  is  good  to 
cover  bowers.     It  is  easily  raised  from  cutting?. 
See  Paragraph  275. 

359.  JONQUIL. — Au  elegant  and  sweet  smell- 
ing bulbous  rooted  plant.     Propagated,   and   culti- 
vated, in  all  respects,  like  the  Hyacinth,  which  see. 

360.  KALMIA. — An  evergreen  shrub  of  great 
beauty,  and  of  several  varieties,  great  quantities  of 
which  are  seen  in  most  of  the  rocky  woodlands 
of  this  country. 

361.  KILL-CALF. — Mentioned    in    Paragraph 
328,  which  see.     It  is  a  dwarf  shrub,  and  may  be 
raised  from  seed,  or  from  suckers.    It  is  very  pretty. 
When  in  bloom  it  resembles  a  large  clump  of  Sweet 
Williams.    It  is  so  pretty  that  it  is  worth  having  in 
the  green-house,  where  it  would  blow,  probably  in 
April,  in  Long  Island. 

362.  LABURNHAM.— This  is  a  tall  and  beau- 
tiful shrub,  loaded,  v/hen  in  bloom,  with  yellow 
blossoms,  in  chains ;  whence  it  is  sometimes  called 
the  Golden  Chain.    I  sent  one  out  to  Pennsylvania 
in  1800 ;  but,  though  alive  now,  it  has  never  got  to 
any  height,  and  has  never  borne  blossoms,  being 

19 


21$  THE    AMERICAN     GARDENER.  fChap 

continually  nipped  by  the  winter.  That  it  will 
grow  and  thrive  in  this  country  is,  however,  cer- 
tain ;  for  I  saw  two  very  fine  trees  in  grand  bloom 
in  the  garden,  between  Brooklyn  and  the  Turnpike 
gate,  last  spring.  It  is  raised  from  the  seed  as 
easily  as  Indian  Corn  is. 

363.  LARKSPUR.— An  annual  of  no  smell,  but 
of  great  variety  as  to  colours,  and  when  in  a  clump, 
or  bed,  presenting  a  great  mass  of  bloom.     There 
is  a  dwarf  and  a  tall  sort.     The  dwarf  is  the  best. 
There  is  a  branching  kind,  which  is  good  for  nothing. 

364.  LILAC. — Desirable  for  its  great  masses  of 
Sne  large  bunches  of  bloom.     There  is  the  White, 
ihe  Blue,  and  the  Reddish.     It  is  propagated  from 
juckers,  of  which  it  sends  out  too  many,  and  from 
which  it  should  be  kept  as  clear  as  possible.     It  is 
an   ugly  shrub  when  out  of  bloom.     The  leaves 
soon  become  brown.     Therefore,  there  should  be 
but  few  Lilacs  in  a  shrubbery. 

365.  LILY  OF  THE  VALLEY.— This  the  only 
Lily  that   I  should  like  to  have.     It  is  a  pretty 
little  dwarf  plant,  that  thrives  best  in  the  shade, 
where  it  produces  beautiful  blossoms  of  exquisite 
sweetness.     It  is  a  bulbous  root,  and  propagated 
from  offsets. 

366.  LOCUST.— Well  known,  and    sufficiently 
noticed  in  Paragraph  329.     It  may  be  raised  from 
suckers ;  but  best  from  seed,  which  always  makes 
the  straighest  trunk. 

367.  LUPIN. — A  species  of  pea  or  tare,  and  fre- 
quently cultivated  in  the  fields,  and  eaten  in  soup 
and  otherwise,  by  the  Italians,  and  in  the  South  of 
France.     It  grows,  however,  upon  a  stiff  stem,  and 
is  upright,  and  branches  out,  like  a  tree  in  minia- 
ture.   There  is  a  great  variety  of  sorts,  as  to  colour 
of  flower  as  well  as  to  size  of  plant.     The  Yellow 


V'l.l  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  219 

dwarf  is  the  best,  and  it  smells  very  sweet.     This 
plant  is,  of  course,  an  annual. 

368.  MAGNOLIA.— One  of  the  finest  of  the  lau- 
rel tribe.     It  can  be  raised  from  seed,  or  from  lay- 
ers.    A  very  fine  shrub  indeed.    There  are  several 
varieties  of  it. 

369.  MIGNONETTE. — An   annual   that  bears 
abundance  of  seed.    The  plant  and  the  flower  do  not 
surpass  those  of  the  most  contemptible  weed  ;  but 
the  flower  has  a  very  sweet  smell.     It  may,  if  you 
have  a  green-house,  be  had  at  any  time  of  the  year. 
The  plants  may  stand  at  four  or  five  inches  asunder  ; 
but,  if  they  stand  thicker,  the  bloom  is  inferior,  and 
does  not  last  so  long. 

370.  MORNING  STAR.— This  fine  shrub  has 
been  sufficiently  described  in  Paragraph  329.    It  can 
be  raised  from  seed,  or  from  layers. 

371.  MYRTLE.— The  Myrtle  is  a  native  of  cli- 
mates where  it  is  never  cold.     It  will  not  endure 
even  November  all  out,  in  Long  Island.     To  have 
it,  therefore,  it  must  be  housed  in  winter.     It  may 
be  raised  from  seed,  cuttings,  slips,  or  layers.    The 
leaf  of  the  Myrtle  has  a  fine  smell ;  and,  when  the 
tree  is  in  bloom,  it  is  pretty.  But,  it  is  a  gloomy  look- 
ing shrub.     One  Geranium  is  worth  a  thousand 
Myrtles.     The  broad-leaved  Myrtle  is  the  best  in 
every  respect,  and   especially  because  it  is  easily 
brought  to  blow. 

372.  NARCISSUS. — A  bulbous-rooted  plant,  ma- 
naged precisely  like  the  Hyacinth,  which  sec.     It 
blows  early,  is  very  beautiful,  and  has  a  delightful 
smell.     Nothing  is  easier  than  the  propagation  and 
management  of  flowers  of  this  tribe,  and  few  are 
more  pleasing.     The  Narcissus  is  a  very  nice  thing 
for  a  parlour,  or  a  green-house. 

373.  PASSION-FLOWER.— So  called  because 


220  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [Chdp 

the  flower  has  a  Cross  in  the  middle,  and  rays,  re- 
sembling a  glory,  round  the  edges  of  it.  It  is  a  sin- 
gularly beautiful  flower.  The  plant  is  also  beauti- 
ful. It  is  a  climber,  like  the  Honeysuckle;  and,  like 
that,  has  a  succession  of  blossoms  that  keep  it  in 
bloom  a  long  while.  It  is  raised  from  cuttings,  which, 
treated  as  other  cuttings  are,  easily  taken  root. 

374.  PCEONY. — A  perennial  that  may  be  raised 
from  seed  or  offsets.     A  grand  flower  for  shrubbe- 
ries.   Each  flower  is  usually  as  big  as  a  tea-cup,  and 
one  plant  will  sometimes  produce  twenty  or  thirty. 

375.  PEA  (Sweet.) — There  are  a  great  variety  in 
the  annual  sorts  as  to  colour  of  blossom,  and,  there 
is  a  perennial  sort,  called  everlasting  pea.     This 
stands,  of  course,  year  after  year.     The  others  are 
sown  and  cultivated  like  the  common  garden  pea, 
They  should  have  some  sticks  to  keep  them  up. 
This  is  a  very  showy  flower,  and  remains  in  bloom 
a  long  while. 

376.  PINK. — This  flower  is  too  well  known  to 
need  describing  here.    There  are  a  great  variety  of 
sorts,  as  to  the  flower;  but  all  are  cultivated  in  the 
same  way ;  exactly  as  directed  for  the  Clove,  which 
see.     The  Pink  root  will  last  a  great  many  years  ; 
but,  the  flower  is  seldom  so  fine  as  the  first  year  of 
the  plant's  blowing. 

377.  POLYANTHUS.— Every   thing   that   has 
been  said  of  the  Auricula  (which  see)  maybe  said 
of  .the  Polyanthus.     It  is  a  very  pretty  flower,  and 
universally  esteemed.    It  blows  finest  out  of  the  hot 
sun.    Polyanthuses  are  best  in  beds ;  for  a  great  part 
of  their  merit  consists  of  the  endless  variety  which 
they  present  to  the  eye.    The  Polyanthus  has  a  de- 
licately sweet  smell,  like  that  of  the  Cowslip. 

378.  POPPY.— A  very  bad  smell,  but  still  is  tc 
be  sought  for  on  account  of  its  very  great  variety 


Vi4  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  221 

in  size,;.height,  and  in  flower  ;  and  on  account  of  the 
gayness  of  that  flower.  The  seed  pods  of  some  are 
of  the  bulk  of  a  three  pound  weight,  while  those  of 
others  are  not  so  big  as  even  a  small  pea.  The 
smallest,  however,  contains  about  a  thousand  seedc^ 
and  these  come  up,  and  the  plants  flourish,  with  very 
little  care.  A  pretty  large  bed,  with  two  or  three 
nundred  sorts  in  it,  is  a  spectacle  hardly  surpassed 
in  beauty  by  any  thing  in  the  vegetable  creation.  It 
is  an  annual,  of  course.  It  is  well  known  as  a  me- 
dicinal plant ;  but,  it  is  not  so  well  known  as  a  plant 
from  the  seed  of  which  sallad-oil  is  sometimes 
made  !  The  Germans,  on  the  Rhine,  cultivate  whole 
fields  of  it  for  this  purpose.  It  may  be  as  well, 
therefore,  for  us  to  take  care  not  to  use  German 
Sallad-Oil,  which,  however,  can  with  great  difficulty 
be  distinguished  from  oil  of  olives. 

379.  PRIMROSE. — A  beautiful  little  flower  of  a 
pale  yellow  and  delicate  smell.    It  comes  very  early 
in  the  spring;  and  continues  a  good  while  in  bloom. 
Of  the  fibrous  rooted  flo\vers  it  is  the  next  to  the 
Daisy  in  point  of  earliness.     It  is  a  universal  fa- 
vourite ;  and,  in  England,   it  comes  abundantly  in 
woods,  pastures  and  banks.     It  is  perennial  like 
the  Cowslip,  and  is  propagated  in  the  same  manner. 
How  beautiful  a  Long  Island  wood  would  look  in 
April,  the  ground  beneath  the  trees  being  decked 
w  ith  Primroses ! 

380.  RANUNCULUS.— Is  a  flower  of  the  nature 
of  the  Anemone,  which  see.     It  is  propagated  and 
cultivated  in  the  same  manner.     These  two  flowers 
are  usually  planted  out  in  beds,  where  they  make  a 
very  fine  show. 

381    RHODODENDRON.— It  never  occurred, 
perhaps,  to  any  American  to  give  this  fine  name  to 
the  laurel  with  a  long  narrow  leaf  and  great  bunches 
19* 


222  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER.  [CIlllJ. 

of  blue,  pink,  or  white  flowers,  the  balls,'or  pods, 
containing  which,  appear  the  year  before  the  flower 
It  is,  however,  a  beautiful  shrub,  and  not  less  beau- 
tiful on  account  of  its  frequently  covering  scores  of 
acres  of  rocJcy  sides  of'  hills,  or  on  account  of  En- 
glish Gardeners  believing  that  it  requires  bog-earth 
(though  fetched  from  many  miles  distance,  at  vast 
expense)  to  make  it  grow  and  blow  ! 

382.  ROSES. — A  volume  larger  than  this  would 
not  describe  the  differences  in  all  the  sorts  of  this, 
which  has,  for  ages,  been  considered  as  the  Queen 
of  Flowers,  the  excellences  of  which  to  attempt  to 
describe  would  be  to  insult  the  taste  of  every  reader. 
I  shall,  therefore,  merely  speak  of  the  propagation 
and  the  management  of  the  plant.  All  roses  may 
be  propagated  from  seed;  but,  as  the  seed  seldom 
comes  up  till  the  second  year,  and  as  the  plants 
come  to  perfection  slowly,  the  usual  mode  of  pro- 
pagation of  all  sorts,  except  the  China  Rose,  is  by 
suckers.  These  come  out  near  old  stems,  during 
the  summer ;  they  are  dug  up  in  the  fall  and  planted 
out.  In  the  spring  they  are  cut  down  near  to  the 
ground,  and,  the  next  year,  they  blow. — The  China 
Rose  is  so  easily  raised  from  cuttings,  that  little 
bits,  put  in  the  ground  in  spring,  will  be  trees,  and 
have  a  profusion  of  bloom  before  the  fall.  This 
Rose  is  in  bloom,  in  England,  from  May  till  Janu- 
ary, if  the  soil  and  situation  both  be  good. — It  is  very 
strange  that  Mr.  MARSHALL  should  set  this  down 
amongst  "  tender  shrubs,"  and  say,  that  "  it  will  not 
do  abroad,  except  in  the  summer  months.11  It 
stands  the  winter  as  well  as  the  oak,  and,  I  have,  for 
years,  had  it,  against  the  front  of  my  house,  blowing 
finely  at  Christmas,  without  any  attempt  at  cover 
ing.  In  America,  in  the  open  air,  it  might  not  be  in 
bliom  at  Christmas  ;  but  it  stands  the  winter  as  wel/ 


VI.]  THE    A3IERICAN    GARDENKR,  223 

as  any  tree  that  can  be  nanred.  It  is  beautiful  for 
the  Green-house ;  for  there  it,  mixed  with  Gerani- 
ums, blow  beautifully  all  the  winter  long.  As  to  the 
management  of  roses  ;  the  ground  should  be  good, 
and  dug  every  autumn  as  directed  for  fruit  trees,  and 
should  be  manured  frequently.  They  should  (except 
when  trained  against  walls  or  over  bowers)  be  kept 
cut  down  low ;  for,  when  they  get  long  stems  and 
limbs,  they,  like  peach  trees,  not  only  look  ugly,  but 
bear  but  few  flowers,  and  those  very  mean  ones. 
They  should,  therefore,  be  cut  to  within  a  foot,  or 
less,  of  the  ground;  and  all  dead  or  weak  wood  should 
be  pruned  out  close,  without  leaving  any  ugly  stubs. 

383.  SIBERIAN  CRAB.— This    Shrub    is,   by 
some,  esteemed  for  its  fruit,  of  which  they  make  a 
conserve,  more,  I  imagine,  to  gratify  the  sight  than 
to  gratify  the  palate.    But,  as  a  tall  shrub,  it  yields, 
for  the  time,  to  very  few.     There  is  the  red-blos- 
somed and  the  \vhite-blossomed.     The  branches  of 
both,  when   in    bloom,  present   ropes  of  flowers, 
while  the  trunk,  the  limbs,  the  branches  and  the 
leaves,  are  all  delicate  in  form  and  in  hue. 

384.  SNOW  DROP.— Is  the  earliest  of  all  flow 
ers.    In  England  it  blows  in  January.    Once  in  the 
ground  it  is  not  very  easy  to  get  it  out  again.    No- 
thing but  carrying-  it  away,  or  actually  consuming 
it  with  fire  will  rid  you  of  it.    No  sun,  not  even  an 
American  sun,  will  kill  a    Snow-Drop  bulb,  if  it 
touch  the  ground. 

385.  STOCK. — There  are  annuals  and  biennials 
of  this  name;  and,  if  1  were  to  choose  amongst  all 
the  annuals  and  biennials,  I  should  certainly  choose 
the  Stock.     Elegant  leaf,  elegant  plant,  beautiful, 
showy,  and  most  fragrant  flower ;  and,  with  suit- 
able attention,  bloom,  even  in  the  natural  ground, 
from  May  to  November  in  England,  and  from  Juno 


224  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 

to  November  here, — The  annuals  are  called  ten 
week  Stocks.  And  of  these  there  are,  with  a  pea- 
green  leaf,  the  Red,  White,  Purple  and  Scarlet, 
and,  then,  there  are  all  the  same  colours  with  a 
Wall-flower  or  Sea-Green  leaf.  So  that  there  are 
eight  sorts  of  the  annual  Stock. — Of  the  biennials, 
there  are  the  Brompton,  of  which  there  are  the 
Scarlet  and  the  White ;  the  Dutch,  which  is  Red ; 
the  Queen's,  of  which  there  are  the  Red  and  the 
White ;  and  the  Twickenham,  which  is  Purple. — 
As  to  propagation,  it  is,  of  course,  by  seed  only.  If 
there  be  nothing  but  the  natural  ground  to  rely  on, 
the  sowing  must  be  early  ;  the  earth  very  fine  aad 
very  rich.  The  seed  is  small  and  thin,  and  does 
not  easily  come  up  in  coarse  earth.  If  the  plants 
come  up  thick,  thin  them,  when  very  young.  And 
do  not  leave  them  nearer  together  than  six  inches. 
They,  however,  transplant  very  well ;  and  those 
that  have  not  place  to  blow  in  may  be  removed,  and 
a  succession  of  bloom  is  thus  secured.  If  you  have 
a  green-house,  glass  frame,  or  hand-glass,  you  get 
flowers  six  weeks  earlier. — The  biennials  are  sown 
at  the  same  time,  and  treated  in  the  same  way. 
They  blow  the  second  year  ;  but,  if  there  be  great 
difficulty  in  preserving  them,  in  the  natura-1  ground, 
through  the  winter  in  England,  what  must  it  be 
here  !  Indeed,  it  cannot  be  done  ;  and  yet,  they  are 
so  fine  ;  so  lofty  ;  such  masses  of  beautiful  and  fra- 
grant flowers  ;  and  they  continue  so  long  in  bloom, 
that  they  are  worth  any  care  and  any  trouble.  There 
is  but  one  way :  the  plants,  when  they  get  ten  or  a 
dozen  leaves,  must  be  put  into  flower-pots.  These 
may  be  sunk  in  the  earth,  in  the  open  ground,  till 
November  (Long  Island,)  and  when  the  sharp  frosts 
come,  the  pots  must  be  taken  up,  and  placed  out  of 
the  reach  of  hard  frost,  and  where  there  is,  however, 


Vri.J  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 

sun  and  air.  When  the  spring  comes,  the  pots  may 
be  put  out  into  the  natural  ground  again  ;  or,  which 
is  better,  the  balls  of  earth  may  be  put  into  a  hole 
made  for  the  purpose ;  and  thus  the  plants  will  be 
zTi  the  natural  ground  to  blow.  In  this  country  they 
should  be  placed  in  the  shade  when  put  out  again ; 
for  a  very  hot  sun  is  apt  to  tarnish  the  bloom. 

386.  SYRINGA,  or  Mock-Orange.— A  very  stout 
shrub,  with  blossoms  much  like  that  of  the  orange, 
and  with  a  powerful  smell.     It  is  propagated  from 
suckers,  of  which  it  sends  out  a  great  many. 

387.  SWEET  WILLIAM.— A  very  pretty  flower. 
Makes  a  fine  show.    Comes  Double  by  chance  ;  and 
is  very  handsome  whether  double  or  single.     It  is 
propagated  from  seed,  the  plants  coming  from  which 
do  not  blow  till  the  second  year.    The  Sweet  Wil- 
liam root  does  not  last  many  years.    It  may  be  pro- 
pagated by  parting  the  roots  ;  and  this  must  be  done 
to  have  the  same  flower  again  to  a  certainty,  because 
the  seed  do  not,  except  by  chance,  produce  flowers 
like  those  of  the  mother  plant. 

388.  TUBEROSE. — This  is  a  bulbuous-rooted 
plant  that  sends  up  a  beautiful  and  most  fragrant 
flower.    But,  even  in  England,  it  cannot  be  brought 
to  perfection  without  artificial  heat  in  the  spring.    If 
fjot  forward  in  a  green-house,  or  hot-bed,  and  put 
out  about  the  middle  of  June,  it  would  blow  beauti- 
fully in  America.     It  is  a  native  of  Italy,  and  the 
roots  are  brought  to  England  and  sold  there  in  the 
shops.    It  is  propagated  and  managed  precisely  like 
the  Hyacinth,  which  see. 

389.  TULIP.— Beds  of  Tulips  vie  with  those  of 
Carnations  and  Auriculas.    They  are  made  shows 
of  in  England,  and  a  single  root  is  sometimes  sold 
for  two  or  three  hundred  guineas.     And,  why  not ; 
as  well  as  make  shows  of  pictures,  and  sell  them 


226  THE    AMERICAN    GARDENER. 

for  large  sums  ?  There  is  an  endless  variety  in  tho  %o 
lours  of  the  tulip.  The  bulbs,  to  have  the  flowers  Tine, 
must  be  treated  like  those  of  the  Hyacinth.  The  tulip 
may  be  raised  from  seed ;  but  it  is,  as  in  the  case  ol 
the  Hyacinth,  a  thousand  to  one  against  getting  from 
seed  a  flower  like  that  of  the  mother  plant. 

390.  VIOLET. — This  is  one  of  the  four  favour- 
ites of  the  Spring  in  England.    It  is  a  little  creeping 
plant,  that  comes  on  banks  under  the  shelter  of  warm 
hedges.    The  flower  is  so  well  known  to  excel  in 
sweetness,  that,  "  as  sweet  as  a  violet"  is  a  phrase 
as  common  as  any  in  the  English  language.    There 
is  a  purple  and  a  white.    Abundance  of  seed  is  borne 
annually  by  both;  and  the  plant  is  perennial.  If  you 
propagate  from  seed,  the  flower  does  not  come  till 
the  second  year;  but,  one  plant,  taken  from  an  old 
root,  will  fill  a  rod  of  ground  in  a  few  years. — There 
is  a  little  plant  in  these  woods  in  Long  Island,  with 
a  flower  precisely  like  that  of  the  purple  violet ;  but, 
the  leaf  is  a  narrow  oblong,  instead  of  being,  as  the 
English  is,  in  the  shape  of  a  heart ;  the  plant  does 
not  creep ;  and  the  flower  has  no  smell. 

391.  WALL-FLOWER.— It  is  so  called,  because 
it  will  grow,  sow  itself,  and  furnish  bloom  in  this 
way,  by  a  succession  of  plants,  for  ever,  upon  old 
walls,  where  it  makes  a  beautiful  show.     It  bears 
abundance  of  seed,  plants  from  which  produce  flow- 
ers the  second  year.    Some  come  double,  sometimes. 
If  you  wish  to  be  sure  of  double  flowers,  you  must 
[propagate  by  slips  of  double-flowering  plants.  There 
are  the  yellow  and  the  mixed,  partly  yellow  and 
partly  red.    All  have  a  delightful  smell,  blow  early, 
and  are  generally  great  favourites.    I  am  afraid  this 
plant,  even  with  covering,  will  not  stand  the  winter 
out  of  doors  in  America,  unless  in  the  south  front  of  a 
building,  and  covered  too  in  severe  weather;  for,  even 
in  England,  it  is  sometimes  killed  by  the  frosts. 


227 


INDEX 

TO  VEGETABLES  AND  HERBS,  FRUITS  AND 
FLOWERS. 


VEGETABLES  AND  HERBS. 


Artichoke 

Paragraph. 

*  3Jft£Tfl.ph. 

Hyssop  .---    226 

Asparagus 

193 

Jerusalem  Artichoke 

Balm     ... 

-    194 

Lavender      ...    228 

Basil         - 

195 

Leek                                    229 

Bean      - 

-    19tf 

Lettuce          -        -        -    230 

Bean  (Kidney) 

197 

Mangel  Wurzel        -         231 

Beet       ... 

-    198 

Marjoram      -        -        -    23'2 

Brocoli      - 

199 

Marigold                             233 

Burnet  - 

-    300 

Melon    ....    234 

Cabbage    - 

201 

Mint         ...         235 

Calabash 

.    202 

Mustard        -       -        -    236 

Gale 

203 

Nasturtium       -        -         237 

Gale  (Sea)    - 

-    204 

Onion            ...    238 

Camomile 

205 

Parsley     ...         239 

Capsicum 

-    206 

Parsnip                          -    240 

Caraway  - 

207 

Pea   -                                  241 

Carrot  - 

-    208 

Pennyroyal   -                     242 

Cauliflower 

209 

Pepper  —  see  Capsicum. 

Celery    - 
Chervil     - 

-    210 
211 

Pepper-grass  —  see  Cress. 
Potatoe     -                          245 

Gives     ... 

-    212 

Potatoe  (Sweet)    -        -    246 

Coriander 

213 

Pumpkin  -                          247 

Corn      - 

-    214 

Purslane        ...    248 

Corn-Salad 

215 

Radish       ,        -       -         249 

Cress  (Pepper  Grass) 

-    216 

Rampion        ...    250 

Cucumber 

217 

Rape         ...         251 

Dandelion 

-    218 

Rhubarb                         -    252 

Dock         - 

219 

Rosemary                           253 

Endive  ... 

-    220 

Rue        -       -        -        -    254 

Fennel      - 

221 

Ruta-Baga  —  see  Turnip. 

Garlick  - 

-    222 

Sage      -                        -    256 

Gourd        - 

223 

Salsafy      ...         257 

Hog 
Horte-Radish    - 

-    224 
225 

Samphire       ...    258 
Savory      -       -       -         t9 

INDEX. 


Savoy    - 

Paragraph. 
-    260 

Paragraph. 
Tansy       ...         267 

Scorzenera 

261 

Tarragon       ... 

268 

Shalot    - 

-    262 

Thyme      - 

269 

Skirret 

263 

Tomatum      ... 

270 

Sorrel    - 

-    264 

Turnip      ... 

271 

Spin  age    - 
Squash  - 

265 
-    266 

Wormwood  ... 

272 

FRUITS. 

Apple    - 

-    300 

Medlar  .... 

313 

Apricot 

301 

Melon 

314 

Barberry 

-    302 

Mulberry       - 

315 

Cherry 

303 

Nectarine 

316 

Chestnut 

-    304 

Nut 

317 

Cranberry 

305 

Peach 

318 

Currant 

-    306 

Pear       ...        - 

319 

Fig    - 

307 

Plums       - 

320 

Filberd  - 

-        -    308 

duince  - 

321 

'Gooseberry 

309 

Raspberry 

322 

Grape    - 

-    310 

Strawberry    ... 

323 

Huckleberry     - 
Madeira  Nut  —  see 

311 

Walnut. 

Vine  —  see  Grape. 
Walnut 

325 

FLOWERS. 

Althea  Frutex 

-    333 

Heart's-ease  (Pansey) 

352 

Anemone  - 

334 

Heath    -        - 

353 

Arbutus 

-        -    335 

Hollyhock 

354 

Astre  (China)    - 

336 

Hollyhock  (Chinese)     - 

355 

Auricula 

-    337 

Honeysuckle     - 

356 

Azalia 

338 

Hyacinth       ... 

357 

Balsam 

-        -    339 

Jasmin       - 

358 

Briar  (Sweet)    - 

34ft 

Jonquil           - 

359 

Camilla 

-    341 

Kalmia     - 

360 

Carnation 

342 

Kill-calf 

361 

Catalpha 

-    343 

Laburnham 

362 

Clove 

344 

Larkspur       ... 

363 

Columbine     - 

-    345 

Lilac         - 

364 

Cowslip    - 

346 

Lily  of  the  Valley 

365 

Crocus  - 

-    347 

Locust       ... 

366 

Daisy 

348 

Lupin    - 

367 

Geranium 

-    349 

Magnolia 

368 

Guelder-Rose    - 

350 

Mignonette    - 

369 

Hawthorn 

-    351 

Morning-Star   • 

370 

•229 
INDEX  TO  THE  GENERAL  MATTER 

[  The  Figures  refer  to  the  Paragraphs,  and  not  to  Pages.} 

Paragraph 

Addison 121 

Boxes,  earthen-ware  preferable  to,  for  plants    - 

Bacon,  Lord 121 

Cultivation,  in  general 126,  176 

as  relates  to  Fruits    -----    291 
Curwen,  Mr.  John  Christian     - 

Cowley 121 

Drilling,  mode  of       ------         162,163 

Diseases  of  Trees 298 

Dryden 348 

»-i          •  OA 

Fencing          ------        ---JO 

for  shade  and  shelter   -        -  -        -     33, 48 

expense  of 47,  50,  51 

seed  for,  how  to  procure      -       -        -        - 
duick-set,  described          -  39 
Garden,  its  praises,  the  produce  and  pleasures  de- 
rived from        2,3,121 

Green-houses         -- 97 

the  usefulness  of          -        -    100,117,118,121 

Girard,  Mr.  Stephen 308 

Hot-beds - 

frames  for  common  in  America  71 

hand-glasses  useful     -----  94 

Herbs,  preserving  and  forcing  of  them          -        -       -    117 
Hampton  Court,  vine  at-        -       -        -        -       -         310 

flowers  at    ------    331 

Hulme,Mr. 310 

Laying  out  of  gardens --57 

LeGau,Mr. 310 

Lucern,  depth  of  its  roots       -       -       -       -       -       -    193 

Loves  of  the  plants  -        -       -       -       -        -       -         141 

Manures 28,29 

Missing,  Mr. 188 

Marshal.,  Rev.  Mr.         ...      -       145,281,282,382 

M'Allister,  Mr. 55 

Planting ...-283 

Propagation  in  general      -.--.-         125 
as  relates  to  fruits      -----    273 

of  cuttings    ------         276 

of  slips      •  «...    277 


230  INDEX. 

Propagation  of  layers    -------  278 

suckers 279 

grafting     -------  281 

stocks 285 

Paul,  Messrs. 282,  308 

Situation  for  a  garden        ------  12 

Soil 16 

Sowing 155 

and  planting  in  pots  ...  110  to  114 

Seed,  sorts  of -  128 

when  true 125 

when  sound     -------  131 

saving  and  preserving  of     -        -                -  130 

table  of  dui  ation  of 150 

Sorts  of  plants,  error  respecting  changes  of  -        -        -  188 
Setting  of  fruit,  an  erroneous  notion         -        -       141  to  145 

Trenching,  best  mode  of       -  20 

Transplanting    --------  1G9 

Temple,  Sir  William 122 

Tull,  Mr. 182  to  183 

Roots,  to  find  their  length  horizontally  -        -        -        -  184 
Walls,  not  necessary  for  fruit    -       -        -        -       - 

Watering  of  plants,  not  recommended  -  187 

Women,  duly  appreciated  in  America      -        -        -  101 

Myrtle    - 371 

Narcissus  --------- 

Passion-Flower      ----•--•  373 

Poeony 

Pea  (Sweet) 375 

Pink  -        - 37G 

Polyanthus     ---------  377 

Poppy        _.-..---• 

Primrose        .---.----  379 

Ranunculus       --------  380 

Rhododendron        -       -       -       -       -       -       -        -381 

Roses 382 

Siberian  Crab 383 

Snow  Drop 384 

Stock 385 

Syringa  (Mock  Orange)    ------  386 

Sweet  William 387 

Tuberose 383 

Tulip 389 

Violet 390 

Wall-Flower 391 


YA  09(84 


•  :^ 


